1. health and fitness

Gateshead
Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2015
Published by Gateshead Health and Wellbeing Board
Contents
Page
Executive Summary
4
1. Introduction
6
What is the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA)?........................................................ 6
Market Entry…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7
2. Gateshead Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment Process
Identification of Health Need…………………………………………………………………………………………….
Assessment of Current Pharmaceutical Provision……………………………………………………………..
Public Engagement……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Identification of Localities………………………………………………………………………………………………….
3. Identified Health Need
8
8
8
8
9
10
Population Profile………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Ethnicity…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Social and Economic Disadvantage……………………………………………………………………………………
Life Expectancy and Mortality……………………………………………………………………………………………
Health Needs – Long Term Conditions………………………………………………………………………………
Health Needs – Substance Misuse…………………………………………………………………………………….
Health Needs – Sexual Health……………………………………………………………………………………………
Health Needs – Lifestyle Risk Factors………………………………………………………………………………..
Health Needs – Vaccinations……………………………………………………………………………………………..
Health Needs – Older People……………………………………………………………………………………………..
Health Needs – Other…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Current Provision of Pharmaceutical Services
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14
15
15
16
Definition of Essential Pharmaceutical Services…………………………………………………………………
Advanced Services…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Locally Commissioned Services………………………………………………………………………………………….
Self-Care……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Dispensing Doctors……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Dispensing Appliance Contractors…………………………………………………………………………………….
Distance Selling Pharmacies………………………………………………………………………………………………
Essential Small Pharmacies……………………………………………………………………………………………….
Hospital Services……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Current Provision of Essential Pharmaceutical Services…………………………………………………….
Repeat Dispensing…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Hours of Provision of Medical Services………………………………………………………………………………
Pharmacy Opening Hours………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Similar Local Authorities Pharmaceutical Needs………………………………………………………………..
Current Provision of Advanced Services…………………………………………………………………………….
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16
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17
17
17
18
18
18
18
25
21
21
24
25
Appliance Services…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions…………………………………………………………………………………..
5. Commissioned Services
27
27
29
Services Commissioned By Gateshead CCG………………………………………………………………………. 29
Services Commissioned By Gateshead Public Health Team………………………………………………. 30
Services Commissioned By NHS England…………………………………………………………………………… 33
6. Non-Commissioned Services
34
Collection and Delivery Services……………………………………………………………………………………….. 35
Monitored Dosage Systems……………………………………………………………………………………………… 35
7. Future Provision
36
Potential Future Roles………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 36
Potential Future Services………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 37
8. Conclusions and Recommendations
38
Appendices
Appendix 1 – Consultation on the Draft Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment
Appendix 2 – PNA Survey and Analysis of Results
Appendix 3 – Public Survey and Analysis of Results
Appendix 4 – Gateshead Localities
Appendix 5 – Pharmacies, GP Practices and Branch Surgeries
Appendix 6 – Pharmacies in Gateshead and Surrounding Areas
Appendix 7 – Maps of Pharmacy Opening Times and Commissioned Services
Appendix 8 – Residential Addresses Within 1.5 Mile of a Pharmacy
Appendix 9 – Pharmacy List, Service Offer, Opening Times and Other Service Provider Summary
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Executive Summary
Introduction
The purpose of this document is twofold:
 To determine if there are sufficient community pharmacies to meet the
needs of the population of Gateshead
 To determine other services which could be delivered by community
pharmacies to meet the identified health needs of the population.
The Health and Social Care Act 2012 transferred the responsibility for
developing and updating Pharmacy Needs Assessments to Health and
Wellbeing Boards. They must produce an updated PNA by 1 April 2015. A PNA describes the population’s health
needs and the pharmaceutical services which exist, or could be commissioned to address these. It is also used to
identify any gaps in pharmaceutical services which could be filled by new pharmacies.
Through the Joint Strategic Health Needs Assessment (JSNA), the council and the Clinical Commissioning Group
(CCG) will identify the population’s health needs. They will each commission services from pharmacies to address
these needs. NHS England will use the PNA to decide if applications for new pharmacies are necessary to meet such
needs or to provide commissioned services.
Pharmaceutical needs assessment process
Population health needs across Gateshead were identified in the JSNA and Gateshead Clinical Commissioning
Group’s Five year plan.
Health needs in Gateshead which can be addressed by pharmacies were considered in more detail. This included
those needs that can be met through the core pharmacy contract with NHS England for services such as dispensing
prescriptions, treatment of minor ailments and medicines advice. Other health needs that can be met through
commissioned services, where community pharmacies might be one of a range of providers, were also considered.
The formal consultation on the draft PNA ran from January 16th 2015 to March 16th 2015 in line with the guidance
on developing PNAs and section 242 of the NHS Act 2006. A report on the consultation will be produced and
included in the final PNA document.
Identified health needs
Gateshead has a population of around 200,000 which is forecast to increase by 5.6% by 2037. It has a higher
proportion of older people in comparison with England as a whole, and predicts that the number of people aged 85
years and over will nearly double over the next 20 years. In terms of overall deprivation, Gateshead is ranked 43rd
out of 326 local authorities (where 1 is most deprived). It is particularly disadvantaged in relation to employment
and also disadvantaged in relation to income, education, skills and training. Higher than average proportions of
children live in poverty.
Across a range of diseases and conditions– chronic obstructive airways disease, coronary heart disease,
hypertension, diabetes, cancer – Gateshead has above average levels of need, particularly in its most deprived
communities. Local priorities include reducing alcohol related harm, reducing smoking, tackling obesity through diet
and exercise, and promoting mental wellbeing.
Current provision
There are 50 pharmacies in Gateshead, located primarily in areas of higher population density with 99.8% of
residential addresses being within 1.5 miles of a community pharmacy. Gateshead is well provided for Monday to
Friday, 9am to 5pm with more than one pharmacy in most towns and urban areas, allowing patient choice and
capacity to provide enhanced services. There is one 100 hour pharmacy and two internet pharmacies.
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Services currently commissioned form pharmacies in Gateshead include emergency contraception, smoking
cessation, needle exchange, supervised consumption of methadone, minor ailments, and specialist palliative care
drugs. There is adequate provision of all of these services across Gateshead.
Gateshead Council concludes that there is adequate provision of NHS pharmaceutical services across Gateshead
during normal hours. The Council considers that supermarket pharmacies meet patients’ needs by widening
access to pharmaceutical services when other pharmacies are closed. However following consultation, Gateshead
Council would like to see a review of accessibility of out of hours services.
Future provision
The CCG vision for community pharmacy is to complement dispensing medicines by greater involvement in the selfcare agenda, and ensuring patients get the most out of their medicines. This is consistent with the pharmacy white
paper (April 2008).
Pharmacies have the potential to develop Public Health capacity, thereby better addressing the lifestyle challenges
in Gateshead.
With regard to locally commissioned services, Public Health will work with the CCG to ensure that services are
commissioned to meet local health needs.
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1. Introduction
The white paper Pharmacy in England: Building on strengths – delivering the
future was published by the Department of Health in April 2008, and set out the
vision for pharmaceutical services in the future. It identified practical, achievable
ways in which pharmacists and their teams could contribute to improving
patient care through delivering personalised pharmaceutical services in the
future.
These personalised services would be in addition to the services associated with
the dispensing and safe use of medicines and as such, need to be commissioned
specifically to meet the health needs of the local population. These services
cannot be commissioned in isolation, and therefore form an integral part of the
joint strategic needs assessment and the strategic commissioning plan, focusing
on local priorities.
The Health Act 2009 introduced a legal requirement for all primary care
organisations (PCOs) to publish an updated pharmaceutical needs assessment
(PNA) by 1 February 2011. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 transferred the responsibility for developing and
updating PNAs to Health and Wellbeing Boards. All HWBs must produce an updated PNA by 1 April 2015. The PNA is
a strategic commissioning document and will also be used to identify where there are gaps in pharmaceutical
services which could be filled by market entry.
To achieve this dual purpose the HWB needs to know what services are currently provided by pharmacies and
whether there is sufficient geographical spread to meet identified health need. Mapping these pharmacy providers
with the health needs of the population will identify any gaps in current service provision and define areas where a
pharmacy service could be commissioned to meet that need.
What is the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA)?
A pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) describes the health needs of the population, current pharmaceutical
services provision and any gaps in that provision. It also identifies potential new services to meet health needs and
help achieve the objectives of the strategic plan, while taking account of financial constraints.
The PNA will be used to:
 inform commissioning plans about pharmaceutical services that could be provided by community pharmacists
and other providers to meet local need.
 support commissioning of high quality pharmaceutical services.
 ensure that pharmaceutical and medicines optimisation services are commissioned to reflect the health needs
and ambitions outlined within the joint strategic needs assessment.
 facilitate opportunity for pharmacists to make a significant contribution to the health of the population of
Gateshead.
 ensure that decisions about applications for market entry for pharmaceutical services are based on robust and
relevant information.
This is not a stand-alone document. It is aligned with the Gateshead Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) 2014
and Newcastle Gateshead Alliance (Clinical Commissioning Group) Five Year Strategic Plan. It will be used as a tool to
inform future service developments aimed at meeting the objectives of the strategic plan e.g., delivering care in the
most appropriate setting, reducing reliance on hospital care, supporting those with long term conditions, promoting
wellbeing and preventing ill-health, and improving access to primary care.
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Market Entry
If a person (a pharmacist, dispenser of appliances, or in some areas a GP) wants to provide NHS pharmaceutical
services they are required to apply to the NHS to be included on a pharmaceutical list. Pharmaceutical Lists are
compiled and held by NHS England. This is commonly known as the NHS “market entry” system.
Under the NHS (Pharmaceutical Services and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations (the “2013 Regulations”) a
person who wishes to provide NHS pharmaceutical services must generally apply to NHS England to be included on
the relevant list by proving they are able to meet a pharmaceutical need as set out in the relevant PNA.
The regulations allow an automatic exemption to the regulatory test for distance selling/internet based pharmacies
provided that they provide:
 the uninterrupted provision of essential services, during the opening hours of the premises, to persons anywhere
in England who request those services.
 the safe and effective provision of essential services without face to face contact between any person receiving
the services, whether on their own or on someone else’s behalf, and the applicant or the applicant’s staff.
The Health Act 2009 replaced the “control of entry” test with a new test requiring Primary Care Organisations to
have statements of pharmaceutical needs. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 transferred the responsibility for
producing the PNA to Health and Well Being Boards of local councils. NHS England will use the PNA to determine
applications to open new pharmacies in that local council area.
It is essential that local councils are keenly aware of pharmacy services needed in the community, together with any
gaps or opportunities in service provision so that these can be commissioned to support more effective patient care.
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2. Gateshead Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment Process
Section 2 provides a brief overview of the methodology adopted in
bringing together the information contained within the PNA.
Identification of health need
Population health needs across the borough were identified by the Public
Health teams. These teams provided an understanding of health needs
identified within the joint strategic needs assessment which could be
addressed by community pharmacies. Health needs were then compared
with the strategic goals of public health commissioners and the Clinical Commissioning Group for Gateshead. This
included a number of initiatives where the potential of using community pharmacies had been explored.
Assessment of current pharmaceutical provision
A steering group consisting of public health, Gateshead
clinical commissioning group, Healthwatch and the Local
Pharmaceutical Committee was established to oversee the
process. The steering group developed an online
questionnaire (Appendix 2) which was sent to all pharmacy
contractors across Gateshead in November 2014. This
identified the current provision of pharmaceutical services in
Gateshead.
Information was also gathered from a number of other
sources e.g. NHS England, Commissioners, Public Health
Observatory, Local Pharmaceutical Committee.
PNA Steering Group:
 Public Health Specialist (Gateshead Council)
 Chair (Gateshead and South Tyneside Local
Pharmaceutical Committee)
 Communications Officer (Gateshead and
South Tyneside Local Pharmaceutical
Committee)
 Senior Medicine Optimisation Pharmacist
(Gateshead CCG)
 Representative (Healthwatch Gateshead)
 Head of Pharmacy (NHS QE Hospital)
Public engagement
A short survey (Appendix 3) was developed to gather information from the public about the pharmacy services they
currently use, and would use in the future if they were commissioned. Each pharmacy in Gateshead was asked to
display the surveys on their counter and encourage customers to complete them throughout December up to the 2nd
January 2015. The survey was also made available online through the Council’s online consultation portal.
The formal consultation on the draft PNA for Gateshead ran from 16th January 2015 until 16th March 2015 in line
with the guidance on developing PNAs and section 242 of the Health Service Act 2012, which stipulates the need to
involve Health and Wellbeing Boards in scrutinising Health Services.
In keeping with the NHS (Pharmaceutical Services and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations (2013), in addition
to the Health and Wellbeing Board members, the following stakeholders were consulted during this time:









Gateshead Local Pharmaceutical Committee
Gateshead Local Medical Committee
All persons on the pharmaceutical lists and all dispensing doctors list in Gateshead
Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group
Gateshead Healthwatch
Queen Elizabeth NHS Foundation Trust, and NTW Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
NHS England
Neighbouring HWBs in Newcastle, Durham, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland.
General Practitioners
Letters were sent to all consultees informing them of the web site address (www.gateshead.gov.uk/consultation)
which contains the draft PNA document.
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“A person is to be treated as served with a draft if that person is notified by the HWB of the address of a website on
which the draft is available and is to remain available (except due to accident or unforeseen circumstances)
throughout the minimum 60 day period for making responses to the consultation”.
Key questions that the consultation considered include:




Are there any factual inaccuracies in the information contained in the draft document
Are there places which would benefit from having a pharmacy which currently do not have one?
Are there places which have a pharmacy but it is not open at the times which best suit customers?
Are there gaps in pharmacy services which could be filled by current pharmacies extending their services or by
new pharmacies?
 Are there pharmacy services which will be needed in Gateshead within the next three years?
The draft document has been updated to reflect significant comments received during the consultation period. The
final document has been approved by Gateshead Health and Wellbeing Board.
Identification of localities
Throughout the PNA reference is made to five localities which are built from ward boundaries. The five localities are
shown in the map below and duplicated in the enlarged map at Appendix 4.
Gateshead Localities
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3. Identified Health Need
Unless otherwise stated, the information below is taken from the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment Interim Report 2014
(www.gateshead.gov.uk/jsna) which contains detailed references to the sources used.
Population Profile
 Gateshead’s population is projected to increase by 11,300 (5.6%)
between 2012 and 2037 to 211,500.
 The population is ageing: it is projected that by 2037 there will be an
additional 16,400 people aged 65 years or older, an increase of 45%.
There will also be a slight decrease in the number of children and
young people aged 0-19 years of around 1,100 or 2%.
 Although the working age population is set to grow by 5,000 or 4%
by 2037, this is due to the increase in retirement age.
 The arrival of 1,000 students to Gateshead town centre in
September 2014 may lead to increased demand for sexual health
services and emergency services linked to the night time economy.
 Increased housing provision may bring increasing demand on pharmaceutical services in the future. The table
below shows planned future housing developments by 2030.
Gateshead Population (2012 and 2037 Compared)
Future Housing Developments
Source: ONS Sub National Population Projections 2012
Source: Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment Jul ‘13
90
Area
80
70
Age
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2,000 1,500 1,000
500
(Female)
0
500
1,000 1,500 2,000
Population (Male)
2012
2037
Ethnicity
 It is estimated that around 3.7% (7,500) of the population are
from a black or minority ethnic (BME) group. The BME
population has increased from around 1.6% in 2001. This does
not include Gateshead’s orthodox Jewish community; over 3000
people state that their religion is Jewish, although this also
includes the non-orthodox Jewish population.
 Gateshead’s increasing diversity may have implications in terms
of support for different communities. For example, there have
been significant increases in residents of Chinese (+690) and
African (+695) origin, and 2% of households do not contain
anyone who considers English to be their main language.
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Dunston
Felling
Birtley
Metrocentre
Gateshead Urban
Core Area
Dunston Hill
Chopwell
Crawcrook
Highfield
High Spen
Kibblesworth
Ryton
Sunniside
Blaydon
Winlaton
Rowlands Gill
Whickham
Bensham
Saltwell
Windy Nook
Deckham
Greenside
Pelaw
High Fell/Low Fell
Leam Lane
Wrekenton
Stella
No. of planned
new homes
(Approximate)
680
650
1080
850
2135
610
760
420
100
175
255
600
160
325
65
65
150
150
455
70
145
20
75
300
25
10
420
Social and Economic Disadvantage
 The Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) measures multiple deprivation for each local authority area as a whole
and also for smaller Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOA) within each local authority. The index is made up of
one overall and seven themed Domains or groupings of deprivation indicators including income, employment,
health and disability, education skills and training, barriers to housing and services, crime and the living
environment. The current index is IMD 2010.
 Overall, Gateshead is the 43rd most deprived local authority in England, out of 326 local authorities. Nearly
31,000 (16%) people in Gateshead live in one of the 10% most deprived areas of England. Nearly 73,000 (38%)
live in the 20% most deprived areas.
 Felling is the most deprived ward, with 64% of its population living within the 10% most deprived areas in
England. This is followed by Bridges (51%) and High Fell (51%) wards.
Index of Multiple Deprivation 2010
Life Expectancy and Mortality
 Life expectancy in Gateshead is currently 77.2 years for men and 81.3 years for women. Life expectancy for both
men and women continues to increase although it is below the England average. The gap with England over the
last 10 years has been fairly constant at about 2 years lower for men and 1½ years lower for women.
 The main causes of deaths that explain the reason for the gap between Gateshead and England are cancer,
circulatory diseases and respiratory diseases. For men, 31% of these deaths are due to cancer, 17% to circulatory
diseases and 14% to respiratory diseases. For women 30% are due to circulatory diseases, 29% to cancer and 19%
to respiratory diseases. Lung cancer is the major cancer type and coronary heart disease is the major circulatory
disease for men and women.
 Across Gateshead’s LSOAs, life expectancy for men is 8.9 years less in the most deprived compared to the least
deprived areas (deciles); for women, the difference is 8.1 years. Over the last 5 years, the difference has been
decreasing for men, but increasing for women.
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 Within Gateshead wards, life expectancy for men living in Bridges is 9.9 years less than for men living in
Whickham South and Sunniside. Women living in Felling will live for 8.8 fewer years than women living in
Whickham South and Sunniside.
 Healthy life expectancy is 58.2 for men and 59.4 for women. Healthy life expectancy for both men and women in
Gateshead is about 5 years less than across England as a whole. Compared to the North East, healthy life
expectancy for men in Gateshead is about 1½ years less; for women, it is just under 1 year less.
Health Needs – Long Term Conditions
There are 52,679 people
with one or more of the
common
long
term
conditions
(LTCs)
in
Gateshead, of whom 8274
have three or more LTCs.
This excludes people who
have less common LTCs.
The risk of unplanned
hospitalisation
increases
with increasing number of
LTCs. The percentage of
people with long term
conditions is shown in the table opposite.
What services can/do pharmacies
offer?
 Anti-coagulant monitoring
 Blood cholesterol check
 Blood glucose check
 Blood pressure check
 Medicine Use Review
 New Medicine Service
 NHS health check
 On demand availability of
specialist drugs service (palliative
care)
Hypertension is the main long term condition and
is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease as
shown in the table. In 2012/13, 16.2% of the GP
registered population of Gateshead had
hypertension, which is higher than the England
average of 13.7%. This may be due in part to higher
rates of detection of hypertension in Gateshead.
Nonetheless, it is estimated that the true prevalence of hypertension
in Gateshead is 27.3%, meaning that there are many people with
undiagnosed hypertension.
% Long term
conditions
2012/13
Asthma
6.6%
Chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease
2.7%
Coronary heart disease
4.3%
Diabetes (17+)
6.3%
Heart Failure
0.7%
Hypertension
16.2%
Stroke
2.1%
Chronic kidney disease
(18+)
5.7%
Epilepsy (18+)
0.9%
Hypothyroidism
3.7%
Osteoporosis (50+)
0.3%
Dementia
0.7%
Atrial Fibrillation
1.7%
Premature mortality from cardiovascular disease is significantly worse
in Gateshead (102.4 per 100,000 people younger than 75 years of age between 2010 and 2012, the equivalent of 523
people) than in England overall (81.1 per 100,000).
Of the 523 deaths due to cardiovascular disease (in people younger than 75 years of age), 356 were considered
preventable. The rate of preventable deaths is decreasing but remains significantly worse than England.
Diabetes mellitus is another major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The prevalence of diagnosed diabetes
mellitus in the adult population of Gateshead is increasing, from 5.8% in 2008/9 to 6.3% in 2012/13.
2.7% (3,555) of the GP registered population of Gateshead have been diagnosed with COPD; this has changed little
over recent years and remains significantly higher than in England (1.7%). It is estimated that 40% of people with
COPD in Gateshead are undiagnosed.
Nationally, mortality rates are decreasing for most cancers; however, mortality rates are increasing for liver cancer,
pancreatic cancer, melanoma, oral cancer and some digestive cancers.
In the 2012 Lifestyle Survey for Gateshead, 24% of adults engaged in 3 or 4 unhealthy behaviours. However, this
figure was 17% in the least deprived areas (quintile) and 27% in the most deprived areas.
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Health Needs – Substance Misuse
What services can/do pharmacies
offer?
 Needle exchange
 Supervised administration of
opiate substitutes
An estimated 1,565 people aged 15-64 in Gateshead use opiates and/ or
crack cocaine. Prevalence of opiate and/or crack use in Gateshead is
higher than the North East and national averages and, unlike them, has
been increasing.
In 2012/13, 1311 adult drug users in Gateshead were in treatment
services. There are an estimated 330 opiate and/or crack cocaine users not known to treatment
services.
Drugs were an influencing factor in 4% of recorded crimes in Gateshead in 2012/13.
There has been an increase in the use of legal highs across Gateshead.
Nationally, drug use reported by 11-15 year olds has decreased since 2001. When surveyed, 6%
of school pupils 12-15 years of age in Gateshead admitted to have taken an illegal drug.
Health Needs – Sexual Health
What services can/do pharmacies
offer?
 Emergency hormonal
contraception
 Pregnancy testing
 Referral for further contraception
The arrival of 1,000 students to Gateshead town centre in September
2014 may lead to increased demand for sexual health services. STIs
disproportionately affect young people. In 2013, the rate of acute STIs
diagnosed was 749 per 100,000 residents, however 61% of the diagnoses
were in young people aged 15 to 24.
Chlamydia is the most common STI, especially amongst young people.
PHE recommends that local areas should be working towards a Chlamydia diagnosis rate of at
least 2,300 per 100,000 in the 15 to 24 age group, and this is now an indicator in the Public
Health Outcomes Framework. The diagnosis rate reflects the number of people tested, and the
proportion testing positive. Gateshead achieved a diagnosis rate of 2232 per 100,000 residents
in the target population of 15 to 24 year olds. This is just below the target and lower than the
rate in the North East (2,545 per 100,000) but higher than England (2,016 per 100,000).
The number of teenage pregnancies in 2012 was 106, having reduced from a high of 202 in 2000.
Local hot spots are Dunston and Teams, Felling and Windy Nook and Whitehills. The rate per
1,000 in 2012 was 30.2 which is above the England average of 27.7.
Health Needs – Lifestyle Risk Factors
What services can/do pharmacies
offer?
 Active intervention smoking
cessation
 Alcohol brief advice
 NHS Health Checks
 Weight management
Smoking
Smoking remains the greatest contributor to premature death and
disease in Gateshead. It is estimated that half the difference in life
expectancy between the most and least affluent groups is associated
with smoking. Around 87% of deaths from lung cancer are attributable to
smoking, as are 73% of deaths from upper respiratory cancer and 86% of
chronic obstructive lung disease. Smoking is also a major factor in deaths
from many other forms of cancer and circulatory disease.
In Gateshead in 2012, the prevalence of smoking in adults was 22.9%. This represents a small
(but not statistically significant) increase from the previous year (20.3%), and is significantly
higher than the England average of 19.5%. Previously, smoking prevalence had been decreasing
year-on-year. Smoking prevalence is highest in deprived areas of Gateshead.
At delivery, 15.9% of all women giving birth were known to smoke. This is higher than the
England average of 12.7%.
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Smoking appears to be more common among children in Gateshead than in England overall, particularly among girls
aged 14-15 years with 21% reporting that they smoke occasionally or regularly (compared to 8% of boys).
Alcohol
Alcohol is the second biggest lifestyle risk factor after tobacco use. Recent figures from the 2012 lifestyle survey
show that 26% of residents binge drink weekly or more often. The survey showed that 19% of residents were
“hazardous drinkers” (drinking above the recommended safe limit in a week). Alcohol misuse is a major problem
within Gateshead in terms of health, social and economic consequences which affect a wide cross section of the
borough at a considerable cost.
The levels of hospital related admissions for both men and women in the borough are not falling significantly. The
rate of admissions for alcohol related conditions in Gateshead was 841 per 100,000 population, which is similar to
the regional average (856) but significantly higher than the national rate (637).
Mortality (in people under 75 years of age) from liver disease is higher in Gateshead than in England overall; in 2012,
there were 44 deaths from liver disease among people living in Gateshead. Gateshead is within the worst ten
authorities for men dying from chronic liver disease.
Obesity
In England in 2012, 62% of adults were classed as overweight or obese (i.e. BMI> 25kg/m2). Men and women have
similar rates of obesity (25%), but men are more likely to be overweight. (32% for women and 42% for men). The
adult prevalence of severe obesity (BMI>40kg/m2) is 2.4% Obesity has risen from about 15% in 1993-95 to 25% in
2010-12.Projections show no halt to the rise in adult obesity Women living in lower income households are more
likely to be obese: obesity prevalence falls from 31% in the lowest income quintile to 19% in the highest income
quintile. There is no clear pattern for men.
The underlying causes of obesity are considered to be the ready availability of high calorie food, and a more
sedentary lifestyle caused by a reduction in activity and manual labour, and greater use of the car for transport.
In Gateshead 23.2% of adults are obese and 61.9% have excess weight according to recent survey data. The England
averages are 23.0% and 63.8% respectively.
8.7% of 4-5 year olds (down from 10.0% in 2011/12) and 21.9% of 10-11 year olds (similar to 21.6% in 2011/12) were
obese in 2012/13. Whilst the proportion for 4 -5 year olds is similar to the England average of 9.3%, the proportion
for 10-11 year olds is above the England average of 18.9%.
In a consultation for the Healthy Lifestyle Services review (2013-14), 476 people were surveyed. Respondents said
that they wanted help to increase physical activity (63%), lose weight and keep it off (43%), eat healthily (38%) and
improve emotional health and wellbeing (25%).
Health Needs – Vaccinations
What services can/do pharmacies
offer?
 Influenza vaccination
In 2013/14, 74.8% of people aged 65 years or older had the seasonal
influenza vaccine. This is just below the Chief Medical Officers’ target of
75% or higher, and is lower than in the previous two years (75.9% in
2012/13, and 77.2% in 2011/12).
In 2013/14, 57.1% of people younger than 65 years of age considered to be at risk received the
flu vaccine. This remains well below the Chief Medical Officers’ target of 75% or higher, but is an
improvement compared to 2012/13 when it had reduced to 56.1%.
In 2012/13, flu vaccination uptake was significantly better in Gateshead than in England overall,
however there are many people younger than 65 who are at high risk of flu. As this target group
are more likely to be in the working population community pharmacy could help identify these
people and offer to vaccinate immediately, without the need to attend the GP surgery.
Page | 14
Health Needs – Older People
What services can/do pharmacies
offer?
 Advice/support to care homes
 Compliance aid assessment
 Prescription collection service
Many of the people whose lives are substantially affected by long-term
illness or disability are in their eighties or nineties and have age-related
conditions such as osteoarthritis, visual or sensory impairment, or
Alzheimer’s disease. But there are also older people who are disabled by
health problems much earlier in life, for instance people who suffer a
severe stroke or early-onset dementia.
Population projections indicate the number of persons in Gateshead, aged 65 years and over will
increase by 45%, by 2037 an additional 16,400 elderly people. The number of people aged 85
and over is projected to increase by 5,600 (126%), creating additional demands for social care,
housing support and health services. Long term conditions and dementia will be among the
biggest challenges faced by health services going forwards.
In 2013 14, 944 per 100,000 people over 65 were admitted permanently to residential or nursing
care. This is higher than national (668 per 100,000) or in the North East (823 per 100,000).
People with dementia require substantial amounts of care, particularly social care. Pharmacists can contribute to
the care of those with dementia by reviewing their medication, and helping to ensure that patients remember to
take the medicines they require by advising on and supplying appropriate support where necessary. The number of
patients with dementia is expected to rise as the number of elderly people in Gateshead increases. According to the
2014 POPPI data, there are predicted to be 2,532 people with dementia, and this is expected to rise to 3,735 by
2030.
An ageing population will be associated with more harm as a result of falls. In relation to emergency hospital
admissions for fractured proximal femur at all ages. Community pharmacists are in an ideal position to review
medication which could contribute to dizziness and falls. As the population ages the proportion of people with a
disability is also likely to increase creating additional demands for service provision.
Health Needs – Other
What services can/do pharmacies
offer?
 Minor ailment scheme
 Travel clinic
Minor Ailments
Pharmacists have access to a considerable range of medicines which
they can sell to the public for minor ailments. They are more accessible
to the public than their GP as customers do not need to make an
appointment to access treatment. As health resources become more
stretched patients will be encouraged to take more responsibility for their care. Healthy living
pharmacies could be centres for healthy living advice and a resource to treat minor ailments.
Travel Clinics
Pharmacies have access to medicines and advice which may be useful to those travelling abroad,
again without the need for an appointment with their GP.
Page | 15
4. Current Provision of Pharmaceutical Services
Definition of essential pharmaceutical services
The national framework for community pharmacy requires every
community pharmacy to open for a minimum of 40 hours per week,
and provide a minimum level of ‘essential services’ which comprise:







Dispensing
Repeat dispensing
Disposal of unwanted medicines
Promotion of healthy lifestyles e.g. public health campaigns
Signposting patients to other healthcare providers
Support for self-care
Clinical governance including clinical effectiveness programmes.
Advanced services
In addition to the essential services, the community pharmacy contract allows for ‘advanced services’. Advanced
services are those services that require accreditation of the pharmacist providing the service and/or specific
requirements to be met in regard to premises. They are commissioned by NHS England and the specification and
payment is agreed nationally.
Advanced services currently include:




Medicine Use Reviews (MUR)
New Medicine Service
Stoma Appliance Customisation Service
Appliance Use Review
Locally commissioned services
Pharmacy services are currently commissioned locally by Public Health Teams, Clinical Commissioning Groups and
NHS England. Most of the services provided locally were previously commissioned by the Primary Care Trust to meet
local health need. However since April 2013 responsibility for these services has moved to Local Authorities, Clinical
Commissioning Groups and NHS England.
Service reviews have been undertaken and new service specifications have been developed for services
commissioned by the Public Health Department of Gateshead Council. Public Health currently commissions the
following services from community pharmacies (See also maps at Appendix 8):





Supervised consumption of opiates
Needle exchange (Harm Reduction)
Smoking cessation services
Emergency hormonal contraception
NHS health checks
Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group is currently reviewing the minor ailments scheme, which is currently
limited to very deprived areas. Gateshead CCG currently commissions the following services from community
pharmacies


Pharmacy minor ailments scheme
On demand availability of specialist drugs for palliative care
NHS England currently commissions community pharmacies to provide seasonal influenza vaccines to at risk
patients.
Page | 16
Self-care
Community pharmacies are expected to promote self-care through the sale of “over the counter” medicines and by
giving advice. Support for “self-care” is an NHS essential service, and the population is encouraged to use community
pharmacies to treat minor illness, therefore reserving GP appointments for more serious conditions. Community
pharmacies are able to sell a wide range of medicines which are not available through other retail outlets, and give
advice on when and how to use them.
Dispensing doctors
Some rural general practices provide dispensing services to some of their patients. Dispensing doctors can provide
dispensing services to patients who live more than 1.6 kilometres (1 mile) away from a community pharmacy. Two of
Gateshead’s 31 general practices (and additional 6 branch surgeries) provide dispensing services to some of their
patients. There are controlled localities within the boundaries of Gateshead, namely High Spen, Barlow, Blackhall
Mill, Chopwell Wood and Coalburns. Special rules pertain to applications for new pharmacy premises within
controlled localities. In rural areas, dispensing doctors contribute an important element to the provision of the
network of medicines supply. The map below shows the settlements listed as controlled areas pin pointed on a map.
However this is not a representation of the boundaries of the controlled localities, just an indication of the areas that
might be affected. NHS England may wish to review the boundaries of the controlled locations at some future date.
Rural Areas (Controlled Localities)
Dispensing appliance contractors
Some patients may choose to have appliances supplied by appliance contractors. Although there are no dispensing
appliance contractors located within Gateshead, these products are usually delivered to the patient’s home, so
distance to the dispenser is not an impediment to service. However, this may limit the ability of residents to access
Appliance Use Review services to ensure that they get the most out of the appliances supplied.
Page | 17
Distance Selling Pharmacies
Currently there are two distance selling pharmacies registered in Gateshead (Appendix 5). Some pharmacies offer
dispensing services which are available over the internet or by telephone. Delivery is then made by post, carrier or
through a branch network. It is not known how many Gateshead residents currently use these services. As these
pharmacies cannot provide face to face services, they cannot provide advanced and locally commissioned services.
Essential Small Pharmacies
Currently there is one essential small pharmacy in Gateshead - KA & AO Limited (Appendix 5). An essential small
pharmacy was, under the previous pharmacy regulations, a small pharmacy which was essential to a (usually) rural
area but was only doing a small number of prescriptions – less than 26,400 per annum. KA & AO Limited is now open
for 40 hours per week, and it is expected that it will apply to rejoin the pharmaceutical list when the current contract
expires on March 31st 2015.
Hospital services
NHS hospital trusts and private hospitals do not provide the type of pharmaceutical services which are in the scope
of a PNA. NHS hospitals within Gateshead would like to work more closely with community pharmacists to improve
care for discharged patients for a range of services such as discharge MUR’s, stop smoking and other services.
Current provision of essential pharmaceutical services
The map on the following page identifies the current provision of essential pharmaceutical services and will be used
to determine any applications for new pharmacy contracts. This map is duplicated and enlarged at Appendix 5.
Pharmacies, GP Practices and Branch Surgeries
Page | 18
Pharmacies in the surrounding areas of Northumberland, Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland
and County Durham, which may provide services to residents of Gateshead are shown in the map at Appendix 6. This
includes city centre pharmacies some of which open for extended hours.
There are 50 pharmacies in Gateshead, including one 100 hour pharmacy, three supermarket pharmacies open 60+
hours a week, one essential small pharmacy1 and two distance selling pharmacies. Pharmacies are located primarily
in areas of higher population density, and close to doctors’ surgeries. There is more than one pharmacy in most
urban areas, allowing patient choice. There is a good choice of pharmacies between Monday and Friday. Services are
more limited on Saturdays, but two thirds of pharmacies are open on Saturday mornings and a third are open on
Saturday afternoons, allowing working residents to access pharmacy services. Sunday and evening provision across
Gateshead is limited and mainly dependant on supermarket pharmacies.
Since the last PNA was written in 2010, the Lloyds pharmacy on Rockwood Hill Road (NE40 4AX) has changed from
an ESPLPS to a 40 hour pharmacy. Three new pharmacies have also opened:
 Co-operative Pharmacy, Birtley - 100 hour pharmacy (Arndale House, Durham Road, DH3 2PG)
 Oakfield Pharmacy, Whickham - 40 hour pharmacy (Oakfield Road, NE16 5QU)
 Spinks The Chemist, Team Valley - distance selling pharmacy (Princes Way South, NE11 0TU)
Average number of pharmacies per 100,000 population, December 2014
Sources: *Mid-Year Population Estimates 2012, Office for National Statistics (ONS) #Health and Social Care Information Centre +NHS England
Locality
No. of
pharmacies
Population (mid-2012
resident population)*
Pharmacies per
100,000 population
Central
14
39,208
35.7
East
5
36,183
13.8
Inner West
9
35,004
25.7
South
13
44,653
29.1
West
9
45,105
20.0
Gateshead
50
200,153
25.0
11,495#
53,493,729
21.5
619
2,602,310
23.8+
England (2013)
North East (2013)
The table above shows that Gateshead as a whole is well served by community pharmacies. Although East locality
appears to have less pharmacies per 100,000 population, when considered with neighbouring pharmacies in Central
and South Gateshead and South Tyneside, patients have ready access to community pharmacy services. As shown in
the map below all residents in East locality have access to pharmacy services within 1.5 miles.
The map below shows that 99.8% of residential addresses in Gateshead are within 1 ½ miles of a pharmacy (this map
is duplicated and enlarged at Appendix 8) and this grows to 99.96% when dispensing doctors are taken into account.
Within the localities, only the South and the West do not have 100% coverage, with 99.9% in the South and 99.3% in
the West (note that the majority of residential addresses not covered by a pharmacy are in High Spen where there is
a dispensing GP).
1
An essential small pharmacy was under the previous pharmacy regulations a small pharmacy which was essential to a rural area but was
recognised as not being viable if forced to open for 40hours per week
Page | 19
Responses to the public survey show that 85% of respondents always or usually use the same pharmacy. 38% travel
to their pharmacy by car or taxi, 56% on foot, but just 4% by public transport. Despite this, more than 80% said it was
easy to travel on foot or by public transport.
Residential Addresses Within 1.5 miles of a Pharmacy
The table below shows the number of prescriptions issued by practices for each locality. These figures do not take
into account prescriptions issued by dentists.
Average number of prescription items issued per pharmacy
Source: NHS Business Services Authority
#
November 2013 – October 2014 +Practices have been assigned to a locality based on the location of the main surgery
Locality
No. of
pharmacies
Number of Prescription
items issued by
practices# +
Average no. of
prescription items per
pharmacy per annum
Central
14
1,320,290
94,306
East
5
854,707
170,941
Inner West
9
823,032
91,448
South
13
1,161,844
89,373
West
9
1,066,851
118,539
Gateshead
50
5,226,724
104,534
Page | 20
Although East locality appears to issue more prescriptions per pharmacy, when neighbouring pharmacies in Central
and South Gateshead and South Tyneside are considered, patients have ready access to community pharmacy
services.
Hours of provision of medical services
The basic GP contract requires GPs to offer appointments between 8.00am and 6.30pm Monday to Friday. To
improve access, GPs have been required to provide more, routine appointments outside of these core hours.
Pharmacy opening hours are not always required to mirror these extended surgery hours, as most appointments are
pre-booked and the need for immediate provision of medicines is rare.
Additionally, the two Walk-in Centres at Blaydon and Queen Elizabeth hospital operate Monday to Sunday 8am to
10pm. The walk-in-centres are staffed and run by the local foundation trust (Queen Elizabeth). They are staffed
primarily by nurses, and medicines are supplied from over labelled stock through the use of Patient Group
Directions. (There are also three walk in centres in Newcastle operating from 8am to 8pm 7 days per week.)
Walk-in centres provide patients with medicines directly and do not require patients to use community pharmacy
services.
GatDoc provides home and centre visits between 6.30pm and 8am seven days a week, and 24 hour access at
weekends and bank holidays. The out of hours provider has arrangements in place to ensure that they can access
pharmaceutical advice, even within the out of hours period.
The out of hours service is provided with up to date information on the extended opening hours of pharmacies
within Gateshead, and those that are convenient for patients with their own transport in neighbouring areas.
Patients are provided with FP10 prescription forms when there are pharmacies open. When pharmacies are closed,
the out of hours service provides patients with over-labelled medicines stocked in the centre or doctors bag. The
cost of these medicines is reclaimed from the supplier by use of FP10 reconciliation forms.
The arrangements for supply of drugs by the out of hours service utilises the network of community pharmacies with
extended hours while they are open, with alternative arrangements when they are closed. There are sufficient
community pharmacies participating in this service.
Pharmacy opening hours
NHS England is responsible for administering opening hours for all pharmacies in Gateshead via the Area Team (NHS
England). Maps showing key opening times are attached at Appendix 8.
Core hours: Each pharmacy is required to be open for 40 hours a week, unless a reduction is agreed by NHS England.
These core hours are provided as an ‘essential’ pharmacy service. There is one 100 hour pharmacy in Gateshead, and
this pharmacy must be open for at least 100 hours per week as core hours.
Supplementary hours: These are provided on a voluntary basis by the pharmacy contractor often based on patient
need and business viability, i.e. they are additional to the core hours provided. Supplementary hours can be
amended by giving NHS England 90 days’ notice of the intended change.
The charts below show, by locality, the numbers of pharmacies open outside of Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm core
trading hours, pharmacies open during weekday evenings, pharmacies open on Saturdays, and pharmacies open on
Sundays. Numbers are for total hours, i.e. including both core and supplementary hours.
(If a pharmacy's hours differed on one day of the week from the other four days this difference is ignored on the chart. For example, if a
pharmacy is open four days of the week, until 6pm but closes one day at 5pm it is counted on the chart as being open until 6pm. Therefore if a
pharmacy opens one evening per week to mirror a surgery’s late opening this is not reflected in these tables.)
Page | 21
Number of pharmacies
Number of pharmacies open after 5pm on weekdays
50
40
West
30
South
20
Inner West
10
East
0
Central
5pm
6pm
7pm
8pm
9pm
10pm
Time open on weekdays - Up to...
Number of pharmacies
Number of pharmacies open on Saturdays
50
40
West
30
South
20
Inner West
10
East
0
Central
8am 9am 10am 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm 9pm
Time open on Saturdays - At...
Number of pharmacies
Number of pharmacies open on Sundays
50
40
West
30
South
20
Inner West
10
East
0
Central
8am 9am 10am 11am 12pm 1pm 2pm 3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm 8pm 9pm
Time open on Sundays - At...
Access to community pharmacy across Gateshead is well provided for during core hours. Many pharmacies in town
centres are open on Saturday afternoons, giving access to working residents, although it is recognised that this does
rely to a large extent on the supplementary hours provided particularly by supermarket pharmacies and the 100
hour pharmacy.
Most of the pharmacies in Gateshead open for more than the core contract hours. The table below illustrates how
many Gateshead pharmacies provide supplementary hours (i.e. above 40) and the chart below shows how these are
distributed across localities.
Page | 22
Number of hours of pharmaceutical services available each week
Number of
pharmacies
Percentage of
pharmacies
Under 40
0
0%
40
8
16%
41 to 45
13
26%
46 to 50
11
22%
51 to 55
8
16%
56 to 60
3
6%
61 to 80
3
6%
81 to 99
3
6%
100 or more
1
2%
TOTAL
50
100%
Number of hours
Number of hours of pharmaceutical services available each week by locality
Number of pharmacies
16
14
100 or more
12
81 to 99
10
61 to 80
8
56 to 60
6
51 to 55
4
46 to 50
2
41 to 45
0
40
Central
East
Inner West
South
West
Under 40
Locality
There are also pharmacies with extended opening hours in Newcastle and South Tyneside which patients in
Gateshead could access. Due to the restrictions of Sunday opening hours, access to pharmaceutical services outside
the hours of 10am to 5pm is limited.
Our survey showed that 48% of respondents would go to another pharmacy if their normal pharmacy was closed,
and a further 35% would wait until it was open. Only 3% said they would go to hospital and no-one said they would
go to a walk in centre.
After considering all the elements of the PNA, Gateshead Council concludes that there is adequate provision of
NHS pharmaceutical services across most of Gateshead, but recognises that services on Sundays and Bank
Holidays are dependent on supermarket pharmacies opening voluntarily. Gateshead Council considers that the
network of extended hour pharmacies are essential to meet the needs of patients by extending access to
pharmaceutical services outside core hours when other pharmacies are closed. However, Gateshead Council
would like to see a review of accessibility of out of hours services.
Page | 23
How Are Similar Local Authorities Providing For Pharmaceutical Needs?
CIPFA Nearest Neighbours 2014
The CIPFA nearest neighbours model groups local authority areas with similar characteristics together based on
population, age, council tax bands, unemployment, retail premises, housing benefit, people born outside of the UK,
standardised mortality rate, and a number of other indicators. Gateshead’s nearest neighbours are:














St. Helens
Stoke
Salford
Wakefield
Rotherham
Halton
Tameside
Newcastle

Stockton
Darlington
Doncaster
Wigan
Bolton
Knowsley
Rochdale
How do the CIPFA nearest neighbours compare with Gateshead?
Wigan
Wakefield
280,100
286,800
303,600
319,700
329,700
61
71
*
73
65
79
72
*
Population per pharmacy
Pharmacies offer…
Pharmacies open…
Provide distance selling
4583 3706 4058 3596 4712 4000 4159 3677 3918 3524
*
Doncaster
258,700
Newcastle upon Tyne
Rotherham
250,200
60
Bolton
Stoke-on-Trent
239,000
51
Salford
220,600
50
Tameside
212,100
41
Rochdale
200,000
49
Gateshead
193,200
36
St. Helens
176,200
34
Knowsley
146,100
23
Halton
126,000
Total pharmacies
Darlington
Total population
105,400
Stockton-on-Tees
No.
3837 4412 3843 4440
*
1
3
0
2
0
2
2
5
0
2
*
4
0
2
For 100 hours per week
5
6
5
7
9
1
6
13
8
3
*
13
2
12
8
*
Before 9am
12
15
17
14
25
23
25
-
21
-
*
-
30
-
27
*
After 6pm
7
11
21
17
16
11
18
-
20
-
*
-
12
-
37
*
On Saturday
20
23
24
31
36
35
27
-
33
54
*
58
47
54
56
*
On Sunday
7
7
5
8
15
6
9
-
12
13
*
20
10
15
14
*
Supervised consumption
17
17
27
20
26
39
13
-
49
47
*
40
57
72
43
*
Harm reduction
3
1
3
5
6
8
6
-
10
7
*
20
10
15
27
*
Stop smoking
11
20
33
40
18
40
21
-
54
27
*
66
42
0
68
*
Health checks
8
0
0
0
-
3
0
-
-
-
*
-
-
-
0
*
Emergency hormonal
contraception
17
10
28
26
35
34
12
-
43
49
*
30
52
50
63
*
Page | 24
*
Pharmacies offer…
Pharmacies open…
Halton
Knowsley
St. Helens
Stockton-on-Tees
Gateshead
Rochdale
Tameside
Salford
Stoke-on-Trent
Rotherham
Bolton
Newcastle upon Tyne
Doncaster
Wigan
Wakefield
Provide distance selling
Darlington
%
4%
9%
0%
4%
0%
4%
4%
8%
0%
3%
*
5%
0%
3%
0%
*
For 100 hours per week
22% 18% 14% 14% 22% 2% 12% 22% 13% 4%
*
18% 3% 15% 11%
*
Before 9am
52% 44% 47% 29% 61% 46% 49%
-
34%
-
*
-
46%
-
38%
*
After 6pm
30% 32% 58% 35% 39% 22% 35%
-
33%
-
*
-
18%
-
51%
*
On Saturday
87% 68% 67% 63% 88% 70% 53%
-
54% 76%
*
79% 72% 68% 78%
*
On Sunday
30% 21% 14% 16% 37% 12% 18%
-
20% 18%
*
27% 15% 19% 19%
*
Supervised consumption
74% 50% 75% 41% 63% 78% 25%
-
80% 66%
*
55% 88% 91% 60%
*
Harm reduction
13% 3%
8% 10% 15% 16% 12%
-
16% 10%
*
27% 15% 19% 38%
*
Stop smoking
48% 59% 92% 82% 44% 80% 41%
-
89% 38%
*
90% 65% 0% 94%
*
Health checks
35% 0%
0%
-
Emergency hormonal
contraception
74% 29% 78% 53% 85% 68% 24%
-
0%
0%
-
6%
-
-
70% 69%
*
*
-
-
-
0%
*
41% 80% 63% 88%
*
* No current PNA available for download at time of writing
- Not referred to in PNA
Current Provision of Advanced Services
Consultation rooms
A consultation room is essential to provide advanced services, e.g. Medicine Use Reviews (MURs) and many locally
commissioned services. Standards for consultation rooms are specified in the service specification for MURs2. They
include:
Base = 47
Do you have a consultation room?
 clear designation as an
area for confidential
consultations
 distinct
from
the
Yes, with wheelchair access
Yes, without wheelchair access
general public areas of
4
the pharmacy premises
Yes, without wheelchair
1 No, but plan to have one within 12 months
 an area where both the
access
1 No
person receiving MUR
No, but plan to have one in
41
services
and
the
the next 12 months
registered pharmacist
No, and don't have any
providing
those
plans for one
services are able to sit
Yes,
with
down together and talk
wheelchair
at normal speaking
access
volumes without being
overheard by any other person.
2
http://psnc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/MUR-service-spec-Aug-2013-changes_FINAL.pdf
Page | 25
Two pharmacies do not have a consultation area, and one of those plans to have one within the next 12 months.
Of the 45 pharmacies which had a consultation room, 42 could access hand washing facilities either in the
consultation area or close to it. It is not a requirement to have hand-washing facilities within the consultation room,
as these will be available in the dispensary. However, it would be advantageous to have hand-washing facilities close
to the consultation room for some locally commissioned services.
Medicines Use Review service
MURs aim to improve patient knowledge and use of their medicines by:




Establishing the patient’s actual use, understanding and experience of taking their medicines
Identifying, discussing and resolving poor or ineffective use of their medicines
Identifying side effects and drug interactions which may affect medicine use
Improving clinical and cost effectiveness of prescribed medicines and reducing waste.
Each pharmacy can provide a maximum of 400 MURs per year and at least 70%3 of the reviews must be with patients
who fall into one of the national target groups, namely:




High risk medicines
Patients recently discharged from hospital
Patients taking respiratory medicines
Patients at risk of or diagnosed with cardiovascular disease and regularly being prescribed at least four
medicines (from late 2014).
Most pharmacies (44 out of 46) provide Medicines Use Review (MUR) services; 2 pharmacies are not able to provide
the service as their premises do not currently have a consulting room. As pharmacists have to gain an extra
qualification to provide this service, it may be that those pharmacies intending to provide the service in the next 12
months are expecting pharmacists to qualify in the next 12 months.
Over half of pharmacies do more than 30 MURs per month. Only one does more than 40. This will be driven by the
fact that pharmacies can be paid for doing up to 400 MURs per year. If pharmacies do more than 400 MURs per year,
there is no guarantee of being paid for the extra MURs performed. In total there are more than 1,100 MURs
conducted each month.
However, there is some capacity, within the current financial envelope of the scheme, to better utilise targeted
MURs. Work is ongoing to identify vulnerable patients, on multiple medications, who could benefit from receiving
advice on getting the most from their medicines, and reducing the risk of hospital admission. The CCG would like to
see MURs targeted on patients who are prescribed inhalers by making sure that patients can use them correctly.
New Medicines Services
The New Medicines Service aims to help patients who have long term conditions get the best out of any new
medicines which have been started particularly for those with the following conditions:




Asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Type 2 diabetes
Antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy
Hypertension.
The majority of pharmacies in Gateshead (43 out of 46) provide this service. Pharmacists must be qualified to
provide MURs to provide NMS.
In total 332 patients benefit from New Medicines Services each month. As this service was only introduced in 2013,
it would be expected that patient numbers would be less than for MURs, which are well established. The pharmacy
3
This service was reviewed and updated nationally in September 2014
Page | 26
department at Queen Elizabeth Hospital would like to work closely with community pharmacy to identify patients
who are discharged from hospital who would benefit from more counselling about new medicines they have been
prescribed while inpatients.
Appliance services
Most pharmacies in Gateshead (42 out of 46) currently supply appliances on prescription. All but one of these
pharmacies dispense both dressings and appliances.
What type of appliances do you dispense?
Just dressings
Base = 42
1
All excluding incontinence appliances
2
All types
39
Regulations which came into force in
2010 defined the essential and
advanced services, which apply to
pharmacies and appliance contractors
who supply appliances on NHS
prescriptions. This stricter service
specification probably accounts for any
reduction in the number of pharmacies
providing
this
service
across
Gateshead. Further details of the
services and the payments applicable
to each service can be found in the
Drug Tariff4.
Essential services:





Home delivery service and supply of wipes and disposal bags
Provide appropriate advice
Dispensing referral
Repeat dispensing service
Urgent supply without a prescription
Advanced services:


Stoma Appliance Customisation
Appliance Use Reviews
Stoma Appliance Customisation service ensures that stoma products are individually tailored to a patient’s needs
ensuring that a close fitting product is supplied. Extra training and specialisation is required to provide this service,
and therefore it tends to be provided by specialist appliance companies. Only two pharmacies currently provide this
service, and three intend to provide it within the next 12 months as shown in the chart on the previous page.
The Appliance Review Service is intended to help patients make best use of their appliances in the same way as the
MUR helps make best use of medicines. Training for pharmacists to perform this service is difficult to access, and
therefore when provided in a pharmacy it tends to be done by trained appliance specialists. Only three pharmacies
currently provide this service, and four intend to provide it within the next 12 months as shown in the chart on the
previous page.
Electronic Transfer of Prescriptions
Prescriptions can be sent directly from the GP’s computer to computers in community pharmacies via a secure
internet link. Eventually the paper prescription which is currently given to the patient will no longer be necessary and
will cease to be the legal prescription. This will streamline the transfer of prescriptions from GP surgery to the
pharmacy nominated by the patient. It will also encourage more GPs to use the repeat dispensing scheme in the
future as some GPs have complained about the awkwardness of using the paper based repeat dispensing system.
4
The Drug Tariff is a monthly publication produced by the NHS Business Authority (prescription pricing division). It is used as a reference for
the payment and repayment of NHS prescription costs by pharmacists or doctors dispensing in primary care.
Page | 27
Release 1: In Electronic Prescription
Service (EPS) release 1 the paper
prescription form remained the legal
prescription with a parallel electronic
message flow linked via a barcode on
the prescription which could be used to
support the processing of the paper
prescription. EPS Release 1 was not
intended to deliver significant direct
benefits, but rather to provide a safe
environment to establish the EPS
infrastructure without the risk of
disruption to the supply of medicines to
patients.
Base = 46
Are you Release 1 or 2 enabled?
Not Release 1 or 2 enabled
1
Release 1 enabled only
3
Release 2 enabled
42
Release 2: Release 2 supports the transmission of electronic prescriptions, e-repeat dispensing, patient nomination
of their selected pharmacy, and the electronic submission of reimbursement claims to NHS Prescription Services. Not
all GP practices in Gateshead have been Release 2 enabled.
According to HSCIC data, all pharmacies are EPS release 2 compliant and therefore able to process electronic
prescriptions. Routine use of electronic prescriptions in the local health economy is largely dependent on the speed
of progress of local practices. Not all practices in Gateshead have been EPS 2 enabled, but a roll out programme
should mean that all practices across Gateshead will be able to provide electronic prescriptions over the next 12
months.
Repeat Dispensing
As part of the essential services component of the NHS contract, all pharmacies are expected to provide a repeat
dispensing service for patients who are considered by their GP to have a stable long term condition. Patients are
dispensed up to a year’s supply of medicines, usually in monthly instalments.
Some GP practices identify
fewer patients suitable for
this service, and some have
indicated that they will wait
for
more
advanced
electronic prescribing to be
activated before introducing
the majority of suitable
patients.
All pharmacies provide a
repeat dispensing service.
Most pharmacies have over
40 repeat dispensing clients
every month.
Number of pharmacies by number of repeat dispensing clients...
30
2
9
4
1
0-10
clients
11-20
clients
21-30
clients
31-40
clients
Page | 28
Over 40
clients
Base = 46
5. Commissioned Services
Since 2013, services are now commissioned from community pharmacies by
several commissioners; namely Public Health teams within local councils,
Clinical Commissioning Groups and NHS England. Some of these services are
provided only through community pharmacies, some are part of a locality
wide network of services which use multiple providers to improve patient
accessibility. The following locally commissioned services are currently being
commissioned either totally or in part from community pharmacies.
Services Commissioned by Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group
Minor Ailments
This is a scheme targeted at those patients who would not normally purchase self-care medicines from their local
pharmacy. These patients, and their families, are in receipt of a means tested benefit and would probably visit their
surgery to have a medicine prescribed for a minor ailment because a prescription would be exempt from
prescription charges. The current scheme pays for an extended consultation by the pharmacist as well as any
medicines required from an approved formulary. The intention of the scheme is to reduce pressure on appointments
within general practices and provide a more convenient service for patients, by providing simple remedies directly
by consultation with a pharmacist. However, currently it is only intended to be available in pharmacies serving the
most deprived parts of Gateshead. The most common interventions are for headlice treatments and paracetamol
suspension for infants.
The map below shows the 11 pharmacies within Gateshead which provide medicines directly to patients through the
Minor Ailment scheme, plotted against the index of multiple deprivation. The current scheme has a financial cap and
this may limit availability
Index of Multiple Deprivation 2010 and Pharmacies Providing Minor Ailments Scheme
Page | 29
It is one of the strategic goals of the CCG to make better use of self-care and community pharmacists, reserving GP
appointments for the more serious conditions which need medical input. The service is currently under review with
regard to scope of service, value for money and meeting the strategic aims of the CCG. It is envisaged that
Gateshead will participate in an initiative across the North East to expand the scheme and market it under Think
Pharmacy First - logo developed in
Base = 45
Number of pharmacies by the number of clients using...
other CCG areas in the North East.
the minor ailment scheme
The service is being reviewed and although
only 11 pharmacies were historically
commissioned to provide the service, If the
service is expanded most pharmacies
across
Gateshead
have
expressed
willingness to provide the service.
34
4
2
2
2
11-20
21 - 30
31 - 40
Over 40
1
N/A
0 - 10
Number of clients (per month)
Specialist drug access service
Some drugs are not routinely stocked in pharmacies because they are prescribed infrequently. To ensure that
patients and professionals can access these drugs e.g. for terminal care, a few community pharmacies are
commissioned to hold them in readiness. The community pharmacies commissioned to provide this service are:
Number of pharmacies by the number of clients using...
the on demand availability of specialist drugs service
Base = 45
38
6
N/A
0 - 10
1
11-20
21 - 30
31 - 40
Over 40
Number of clients (per month)





RG Young, Deckham (Central)
Boots, Blaydon (West)
Boots, Ryton (West)
Asda MetroCentre (Inner West)
Co-operative, Birtley (South)
Pharmacies across South of Tyne were
originally contracted to provide this
service as part of new contract
regulations.
This service is currently being reviewed
by the palliative care team, the QE pharmacy team and others in terms of the medicines stocked and the pharmacies
which hold them. The service will be relaunched when it is finalised.
There is adequate provision of this service across the borough with many other pharmacies willing to provide the
service if commissioned.
Services Commissioned by Gateshead Council Public Health Team
Drug Misuse - Harm Reduction Service (Needle exchange)
Gateshead Public Health Team has recently re-commissioned the substance misuse services and from November
2014 these will be provided by Gateshead Evolve. This company will be responsible for ensuring that there is
adequate provision of needle exchange locations, and sufficient high quality providers of supervised opiate
consumption. The aim of the drug misuse service is to reduce the harm done to patients by:



reducing the risks associated with illegal drug use
reducing the numbers of people who use illegal drugs
promoting the responsible use of alcohol.
The key aim of this service is to reduce the transmission of blood borne viruses and other infections caused by
sharing injecting equipment. Services have been commissioned from community pharmacies and other providers, to
provide needle exchange services, which encourage those who still use illegal drugs, to use them as safely as
possible by providing access to clean needles and syringes. One of the maps at Appendix 7 shows the locations of
these services.
Page | 30
Needle exchange is currently provided by the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Service at Regent Terrace as well as 8
community pharmacies. In the future it is expected that community pharmacies will continue to provide needle
exchange services, but that the Drug and Alcohol Treatment service facility will move to Park Road, Gateshead.
Several pharmacies have expressed an interest in providing this service if commissioned.
There are sufficient providers of needle exchange services to meet current demand for the service.
Drug Misuse - Supervised consumption of opiate substitutes
Services have been commissioned from community
pharmacies to provide a supervised consumption scheme for
methadone for those individuals who have made the decision
to reduce their illegal opiate use. Substance misuse services
prescribe an opiate substitute, tailoring the dose to the
individual’s needs. When a pharmacist supervises the
patient’s consumption of the methadone in the pharmacy, it
will not end up being traded on the street, or accidently being
taken by children in the home. This also reduces the potential
for criminal activity.
39 pharmacies are commissioned to provide supervised
consumption services and are spread across localities as
shown in the table below. One of the maps in Appendix 7
shows the locations of these services.
Locality
Number of pharmacies providing
supervised administration of
opiate substitutes service
Central
12
East
4
Inner West
7
South
8
West
8
Gateshead
39
The majority of pharmacies provide this service to less than
20 clients per month. In most cases there is daily contact which allows the pharmacy staff to get to know their
clients, and provides opportunities for health messages to be re-enforced. The staff may also react to other cues
about the client’s health status, signBase = 45
posting to other relevant services. It is
Number of pharmacies by the number of clients using...
important that pharmacies providing
supervised administration of opiate substitutes service
supervised consumption services are
13
11
linked into the support services offered
7
6
by the Public Health team, so that the
5
3
pharmacy receives relevant updates
and alerts. It is also important that
N/A
0 - 10
11-20
21 - 30
31 - 40
Over 40
pharmacies serving larger numbers of
clients have sufficient trained staff to
Number of clients (per month)
serve all customer’s health needs.
There is adequate provision of this service across Gateshead where it is needed. In many communities there is a
choice of provider.
Emergency Hormonal Contraception (EHC)
To meet public health targets to reduce
teenage
pregnancy,
a
locally
commissioned service was developed
to make EHC more readily available.
Although EHC is available without
prescription the retail cost (around
£25) means it is unaffordable for many
of the target group, and it is not
licensed for women under 16.
Pharmacists providing the service
Base = 46
Number of pharmacies by the number of clients using...
emergency hormonal contraception
18
N/A
22
0 - 10
4
1
11-20
21 - 30
Number of clients (per month)
Page | 31
1
31 - 40
Over 40
undergo extra training, and provide treatment against a Patient Group Direction in an attempt to reduce unintended
pregnancies and subsequent terminations. Pharmacies can offer this service without the need for an appointment.
Pathways are in place for an immediate referral to community Sexual Health Services or Primary Care for Emergency
Intrauterine Contraception as the first line option in response to Emergency Contraception. Pharmacists are trained
in prioritising and advising of the optimal pathway. There are also pathways that have been developed to support
ongoing reliable contraception and processes that have been implemented to enable pharmacists to refer women
into specialist contraceptive services for ongoing advice, treatment and support.
The EHC service specification provides for four levels of service:




Consultation
Consultation + EHC
Consultation + chlamydia screening kit
Consultation + EHC + chlamydia screening kit
In 2014 1,209 packs of EHC were dispensed through the scheme, however, only 24 (2%) of consultations resulted in
chlamydia screening kits being given out. Responsibility for the chlamydia screening element will be taken over by
South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust from 1 April 2015.
The map below shows the locations of services which can provide EHC, together with teenage pregnancy “hotspots”
(wards which are significantly higher than the England average). There is widespread availability of pharmacies
offering EHC across Gateshead. Some people prefer the anonymity associated with supermarkets, rather than using
local pharmacies where they may be known.
When considered with GP surgeries, the current service is adequate. Community pharmacies which are open at
the weekends, and outside regular service hours during weekdays, are seen to offer a needed service.
Teenage Pregnancy Rates in Gateshead Wards (2010-12) and Pharmacies Providing EHC
(Note: only wards significantly higher or lower than the England average are shown)
Page | 32
Stop smoking services
Gateshead Public Health team has a well-developed NHS Stop Smoking service which is available from GP surgeries
and community pharmacies. Pharmacies provide one of the locations for active intervention smoking cessation
services and complement the services provided in general practice. One of the maps in Appendix 7 shows the
locations of these services.
When considered with other providers of stop smoking services, coverage across Gateshead is adequate.
Pharmacies with longer opening hours have the opportunity to provide the service to the working population who
may not be able to access other services in normal working hours.
Healthy Start Vitamins
Public Health teams have identified community pharmacies as a potential resource in the supply of healthy start
vitamins to pregnant ladies and children under 4 years of age. Work on this initiative is at an early stage.
Services Commissioned by NHS England
Seasonal Influenza Vaccination
This service is commissioned to help meet national targets to immunise the over 65s and those at risk from
influenza. Pharmacists undergo extra training to deliver this service, but can provide the service privately to those
clients who do not qualify for NHS vaccines. Pharmacists have access to influenza vaccine over and above the
vaccines ordered by GPs at the beginning of the seasonal campaign.
NHS England are currently working with community pharmacy representatives to develop two services which they
will then commission across the North East namely:


Emergency supply of medicines
Use of community pharmacy as a disposition in NHS 111 algorithms
Details of these schemes are not yet available, but both are designed to reduce pressure on GP, Out of hours
services, and A&E services. The Emergency supply of medicines service will allow patients to access medicines
through community pharmacies when they have run out. Currently this would involve getting an emergency
prescription from the GP out of hours service or the patient may just turn up at A&E.
Currently community pharmacy is not one of the dispositions in NHS 111 algorithms. Therefore patients who phone
the NHS helpline, even those with minor ailments, are advised to see their GP, even when a community pharmacist
could deal with the condition. This wastes the expertise of a whole section of the healthcare workforce.
From our public survey, a number of people said they would be likely to use health checks (23%), travel vaccinations
(19%) and the adult flu vaccination service (19%) if they were available at their pharmacy. Commissioners may want
to consider this in the future.
Page | 33
6. Non-Commissioned Services
Community pharmacies provide a range of services which are
neither part of the core contract with the NHS, nor
commissioned by Gateshead Council, the Clinical
Commissioning Group or NHS England. These services are often
very valuable for special patient groups e.g. the housebound,
but are provided at the discretion of the pharmacy owner.
Pharmacies providing non-commissioned services
(identified in the PNA questionnaire)
Gateshead
Central
East
Inner West
South
West
Anti-coagulant monitoring
3
0
1
1
0
1
Blood cholesterol check
4
1
0
1
2
0
Blood glucose check
6
2
0
2
1
1
Blood pressure check
19
6
2
3
6
2
Safe disposal of sharps
4
1
0
1
1
1
9
3
1
1
3
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
Erectile dysfunction service
2
1
0
1
0
0
Pregnancy testing
5
2
2
0
0
1
Referral for further contraception
22
4
3
4
5
6
Alcohol brief advice
7
2
2
1
2
0
Weight management
7
3
1
1
2
0
Advice/support to care homes
13
2
1
2
5
3
Compliance aid assessment
4
2
0
0
2
0
Hair loss service
2
1
0
1
0
0
Prescription collection service
45
12
5
7
12
9
Travel clinic
2
1
0
1
0
0
Chlamydia screening
as a stand alone service
Chlamydia treatment
and partner notification
As these services are not reimbursed by the NHS, the decision to provide the service is often a commercial one,
especially when the service increases the pharmacy’s overhead costs. Non-commissioned services identified in the
pharmaceutical needs assessment questionnaire are detailed in the table above.
From this table it can be seen that pharmacies offer a wide range of non NHS services. Some of the services are not
aligned with the strategic priorities of the CCG or the council, but may be fulfilling a customer generated demand for
non NHS services.
Page | 34
Collection and delivery services
Two of the services which customers find extremely useful are the prescription collection from the surgery and
home delivery services. Patients are often surprised to find that these are not NHS services.
45 pharmacies in Gateshead provide prescription collection services. As electronic prescriptions become more
widely used the need for prescription collection services will diminish, as the prescriptions will be sent electronically
to the pharmacy which the patient has chosen.
Most pharmacies (41 out of 45) provide
a prescription home delivery service.
Do you offer a prescription delivery service?
Some pharmacies do put a limit on this
service with regard to distance, and
some only provide this service to
housebound patients. Pharmacists are
continually trying to balance the desire
of customers to have their medicines
delivered to their home, with the need
to personally advise patients on their
medicines.
Yes
41
4
Base = 45
No
Monitored dosage systems
Pharmacies are expected to make suitable arrangements for patients who have disabilities which ensure that they
can take their medicines as instructed by the doctor. This will sometimes require the use of monitored dose boxes to
help patients take complicated drug regimens.
Which patients may access your
monitored dosage system?
Any patient
14
Those assessed by the pharmacy
15
Those assessed/requested by GP
28
Those assessed/requested by social
services
20
Those requested by family
Other
Base = 42
Sometimes family or carers ask for
medicines to be dispensed in
monitored dose boxes, without any
assessment of whether this is the most
appropriate way of providing the help
that the patient needs to safely take
their medicines. 4 pharmacies offer a
compliance aid assessment service to
ensure that the most appropriate
compliance aid is recommended for
that patient.
Some pharmacies insist on an
assessment by GP, social services or
other suitable professional before
agreeing to provide this service.
10
2
Page | 35
7. Future Provision
The CCG vision for community pharmacy is to complement dispensing
medicines by the provision of a wider range of services from community
pharmacies, better utilising pharmacists’ clinical skills. This is consistent with
the pharmacy white paper (April 2008)5 and the Royal Pharmaceutical
Society Report “Now or Never”6.
Pharmacists are health professionals who have a specific expertise in the use
of medicines. To date, their clinical knowledge and expertise in the use of
medicines has been underutilised within community pharmacy. These skills
must be harnessed to ensure that patients have the same level of pharmaceutical care in the community as they
currently receive within hospital settings. This would make a step change in the long term conditions agenda.
Pharmacies provide a convenient and less formal environment for people to access readily available professional
advice and help to deal with everyday health concerns and problems. The role of pharmacies in promoting self-care
will become even more important as the healthcare budget becomes stretched, and GPs have less time to spend on
those with more minor health conditions.
The pharmacy white paper quotes a survey showing that 84% of adults visit a pharmacy at least once a year. Our
local survey found that 18% or respondents visited a pharmacy once a week and a further 46% visited at least once a
month. Moreover, 44% said that they always visited the same pharmacy and a further 41% said that they mostly
visited the same pharmacy. This gives the opportunity for pharmacists to have a complete picture of patients’ health
needs. Pharmacists in Gateshead are accessible and offer extended opening times (late into the evenings or at
weekends) to suit patients and customers. Furthermore, most pharmacies now have dedicated consultation areas
specifically designed for private discussion.
Potential future roles
Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group envisages seamless care for patients across the whole healthcare system;
which would mean all elements of pharmacy – hospital, community and primary care – working together to optimise
the use of medicines and deliver better care for patients. The CCG principles for medicines are to ensure safe
prescribing, reduce waste medicines, increase cost effective prescribing and ensure patient satisfaction.
Gateshead’s practice medicines optimisation team have shown that pharmacists can have an important role in
reviewing medication within the care home setting. If there was even closer working between the practice
pharmacist team and community pharmacists who supply medicines to care homes, then greater gains could be
made in reducing waste and supporting care homes in using medicines more effectively.
The CCG would like to see community pharmacists giving more support to housebound patients with targeted MURs
– the benefits of which were shown in a South of Tyne supported project. As respiratory disease is higher than the
national average within Gateshead, causing frequent admissions to hospital, the CCG would like to see a focus on
improving inhaler technique within this population.
Queen Elizabeth NHS Foundation Trust would also like to engage with community pharmacists, to take forward the
project currently being supported by the Academic Health Sciences Network (AHSN) which identifies patients who
would benefit from a discharge MUR or new medicines intervention to help recently discharged patients get the
most from new medicines prescribed while in hospital. The Queen Elizabeth hospital has a particular interest in
referring patients admitted to hospital for smoking related exacerbations, to community pharmacy smoking
cessation services, when the patient may be highly motivated to quit smoking.
5
Pharmacy White Paper April 2008
6
http://www.rpharms.com/promoting-pharmacy-pdfs/moc-report-full.pdf
Page | 36
Potential future services
There is the potential to reinvigorate the Healthy Living Pharmacy scheme. By encouraging more pharmacies to sign
up there will be clear benefits around the health promotion agenda, in relation to the lifestyle challenges in
Gateshead.
The Healthy Living Pharmacy programme has a vision of a trained health promotion professional in at least one
pharmacy in every community. The pharmacy would then act as a hub for health promotion activities and knowledge
within that community – a one stop shop, gaining the trust and support of local residents and increasing footfall.
Development of the pharmacy workforce will build effective foundations for Public Health capacity across
Gateshead. At the same time the pharmacy team will develop multidisciplinary links and positive working
relationships with other health services which will improve collaborative working to improve patient care and deliver
better service outcomes.
Public Health teams have identified community pharmacies as a potential resource in the supply of healthy start
vitamins to pregnant ladies and children under 4 years of age. Work on this initiative is at an early stage.
There may also be opportunities to enhance NHS health checks through pharmacy. Perhaps some of the harder to
reach groups might be encouraged to attend the less formal environment of a Healthy Living Pharmacy. There may
be other services that are being delivered by other providers, but are not currently reaching all the target population
as has been demonstrated by the influenza campaigns.
NHS England are currently working with community pharmacy representatives to develop two services which they
will then commission across the North East, namely:


Emergency supply of medicines
Use of community pharmacy as a disposition in NHS 111 algorithms
Details of these schemes are not yet available, but both are designed to reduce pressure on GP, Out of hours
services, and A&E services.
Community pharmacists have an important role to play in promoting the safe and effective use of medicines, in
reducing inappropriate hospital admissions, and ensuring that integrated care supports patients as they move
between hospital and the community.
Community pharmacists can also use their expertise to tackle problems related to adverse effects and poor use of
medicines, as well as ensure the safe disposal of unwanted medicines.






Between one third and one half of medicines prescribed for long term conditions are thought not to be
taken as recommended
Between 4% and 5% of hospital admissions are thought to be due to preventable medicines related
problems
Many GP consultations which involve minor ailments could be dealt with by pharmacists
Pharmacies could have a role in promoting healthy lifestyles, encouraging the responsible use of alcohol, and
obesity management
As modelling suggests that many people suffering from CHD and diabetes have not yet been identified by
general practice teams, pharmacies could have a role in reaching those who do not routinely visit their GP
Pharmacies could have a role in the reduction of waste, since unused medicines account for at least 1% of
the primary care drug budget.
Community pharmacists in Gateshead are ideally placed, and have the potential, to make a significant contribution
to the delivery of services to meet the health needs of the population of Gateshead.
Page | 37
8. Conclusions and Recommendations
There are 50 pharmacies in Gateshead, located primarily in areas of higher
population density with 99.8% of residential addresses being within 1.5 miles
of a community pharmacy. There is more than one pharmacy in most towns
and urban areas, allowing patient choice and capacity to provide enhanced
services.
There is adequate provision of pharmacies across Gateshead Monday to
Friday 9am to 5pm. Services are more limited on Saturdays, but two thirds of pharmacies are open on Saturday
mornings and a third are open on Saturday afternoons, allowing working residents to access pharmacy services.
Sunday and evening provision across Gateshead is limited and mainly dependant on supermarket pharmacies.
Following consultation, several respondents raised concerns about the accessibility of pharmacy services outside
normal hours. Gateshead council therefore recommends that pharmacy services in the out of hours period are
reviewed to ensure that they meet the needs of Gateshead residents. Should gaps in service be identified a
supplementary statement will be added to this Pharmacy Needs Assessment.
The two dispensing GP practices make a valuable contribution to the dispensing of prescriptions in very rural areas.
It may be desirable for NHS England to review controlled localities, in order that new maps may be produced.
With regard to the locally commissioned services provided by community pharmacies, the Pharmacy Minor Ailments
scheme is being reviewed and although only 11 pharmacies are currently commissioned to provide the service, If the
service is expanded most pharmacies across Gateshead have expressed willingness to provide the service.
There are no gaps in the provision of specialist drug access services across Gateshead within the current network
across South of Tyne. The service is being reviewed and many other pharmacies are willing to provide the service if
needed.
Services for drug users – needle exchange and supervised consumption - have adequate coverage in the areas where
the service is needed. More pharmacies have stated that they are willing to provide this service if commissioned.
Emergency contraception is available from 68% (34 out of 50) of the pharmacies across Gateshead and all GP
practices. Community pharmacies which are open at the weekends are seen to offer a valuable service. The service is
considered to be adequate.
Stop smoking services are available from 80% (40 out of 50) of the pharmacies across Gateshead. When considered
with other providers of stop smoking services (GP practices), coverage across Gateshead is well-served. Pharmacies
with longer opening hours have the opportunity to provide the service to the working population who may not be
able to access other services in normal working hours.
26 community pharmacists have already been commissioned to provide flu vaccine to target groups. More
pharmacists have undergone training in advance of the 2014 campaign, and this will help Gateshead reach more of
the target at risk population.
Page | 38
There is the potential to reinvigorate the Healthy Living Pharmacy scheme. By encouraging pharmacies to sign up
there will be clear benefits around the health promotion agenda, in relation to the lifestyle challenges in Gateshead.
After considering all the elements of the PNA, Gateshead Council concludes that there is adequate provision of
NHS pharmaceutical services across Gateshead as 99.8% of residential addresses are within 1.5 miles of a
pharmacy and when dispensing doctors are included this rises to 99.96%.
Gateshead Council considers that the network of extended hour pharmacies are essential to meet the needs of
patients by extending access to pharmaceutical services outside core hours when other pharmacies are closed.
However, Gateshead council recommends that the pharmacy services in the out of hours period are reviewed to
ensure they meet the needs of Gateshead residents.
Services currently commissioned from pharmacies in Gateshead include emergency contraception, smoking
cessation, needle exchange, supervised consumption of methadone, NHS health checks, minor ailments, specialist
palliative care drugs, and influenza vaccinations. There is adequate provision of all of these services across
Gateshead. With regard to locally commissioned services, Public Health will work with the CCG and NHS England
to ensure that services are commissioned to meet local health needs.
Page | 39
Appendix 1
Consultation on the Draft Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment
The formal consultation on the draft PNA for Gateshead ran from 15th January 2015 to 15th March
2015 in line with the guidance on developing PNAs and section 242 of the Health Service Act 2012,
which stipulates the need to involve Health and Wellbeing Boards in scrutinising Health Services.
In keeping with the NHS (Pharmaceutical Services and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations
(2013) the following stakeholders were consulted during this time:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Gateshead Local Pharmaceutical Committee
Gateshead Local Medical Committee
All persons on the pharmaceutical lists and all dispensing doctors list in Gateshead
LPS chemists in Gateshead with whom NHS England has made arrangements for the provision of
any local pharmaceutical services;
Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group
Gateshead Healthwatch
Queen Elizabeth NHS Foundation Trust, and NTW Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
NHS England
Neighbouring HWBs in Newcastle, Durham, Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland.
General Practitioners
Letters were sent to all consultees informing them of the web site address which contained the draft
PNA document.
Twelve responses were received, nine through the website post box and three by letter. The website
allowed anyone to respond anonymously but note was taken of the themes raised by their
responses. Letters were received from the Local Pharmaceutical committee, the Local Medical
Committee and NHS England. Issues raised when the document was discussed at the Health and
Wellbeing Board have also been included in this report.
Two of the responses through the web site considered that the pharmacy services provided in
Gateshead were good and could not think of areas for improvement. One respondent talked about
the waste generated by patients who did not value the medicines they were prescribed. Five
respondents raised issues about the pharmacy services in the evenings and weekends being difficult
to access, especially those living in the west of Gateshead and in the rural areas. Two of these
respondents went further, suggesting that pharmacies be open 24 hours per day. The final response
mirrored many of the issues raised by the Local Pharmaceutical Committee.
The Local Medical Committee felt that there was adequate provision of pharmaceutical services
currently and for the foreseeable future, but urged that care was taken not to destabilise the
present service provision.
NHS England had invited the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Local professional network (LPN) for
its views on the draft PNA document. NHS England and the LPN were of the view that while Sunday
and Bank Holiday services may be limited, a need for more services had not been demonstrated.
Should such a need be demonstrated, then NHS England would assess any gaps in service and
commission additional pharmacy hours where necessary.
The Local Pharmaceutical Committee provided a very useful document which listed several
inaccuracies – mostly of terminology, which have been corrected in the final document. They
provided information on new services which could be commissioned from community pharmacies to
meet the health needs of the residents of Gateshead identified in the document. Suggestions for
improvements in the minor ailments scheme will be passed on to the Clinical Commissioning Group
which commissions this service. Other suggestions, including brief alcohol interventions, expansion
of the flu scheme, and sexual health services will be passed on to the relevant specialists in the
Public Health team.
Discussion of the document at the Health and Wellbeing Board again raised the issue of availability
and accessibility of pharmacy services in the out of hours period, particularly for those reliant on
public transport or who live in the more rural areas in west Gateshead. The Health and Wellbeing
Board also raised the issue of whether there was a correlation between closing times of pharmacies
and an increase in access to other services e.g. minor injuries units.
Given that the issue of accessibility of pharmacy services out of hours has been raised by so many
respondents, a piece of work should be commissioned to quantify this problem and propose
potential solutions. If it is determined that there are gaps in pharmacy services, then a
supplementary statement will be added to the Pharmacy Needs Assessment, and NHS England will
be notified of the gaps to allow them to commission services to fill those gaps in service.
The final PNA has been updated to reflect these concerns by addition of an extra paragraph in
Chapter 8…
Following consultation, several respondents raised concerns about the accessibility of pharmacy
services outside normal hours. Gateshead council therefore recommends that pharmacy services in
the out of hours period are reviewed to ensure that they meet the needs of Gateshead residents.
Should gaps in service be identified a supplementary statement will be added to this Pharmacy Needs
Assessment.
Recommendations in the final PNA have also been updated to reflect these concerns namely:
Gateshead Council concludes that there is adequate provision of NHS pharmaceutical services
across Gateshead during normal hours. The Council considers that supermarket pharmacies meet
patients’ needs by widening access to pharmaceutical services when other pharmacies are closed.
However following consultation Gateshead Council would like to see a review of accessibility of
out of hours services.
Appendix 2
Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2015 Survey
Introduction
This survey is for completion by current providers of pharmaceutical
services in Gateshead. It will help us to map the current provision of
services as part of the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA). The
survey will help commissioners to understand which pharmacies are
willing to consider the provision of additional services if they are
commissioned in the future. It will also provide an indication of the range
of services provided through community pharmacies which are over and
above the commissioned services.
The content of the survey has been agreed by the Gateshead PNA
Steering Group. All of the information you provide about your pharmacy
will be considered commercially sensitive, kept confidential and will be
aggregated with all other responses for analysis to provide a local
perspective of service provision. The survey should take you about 15
minutes to complete.
The closing date for completion is 5th December 2014
Premises Details
Q1
Please enter your premises details below
Contract Code (ODS or F code)
Name of Contractor
Pharmacy email address
Pharmacy Telephone Number
Section 1 – Consultation Facilities
Q2
Q3
Q4
Is there a consultation room (meeting the criteria for the Medicines Use Review
service)?

Yes, with wheelchair access
 Yes, without wheelchair access

No, but plan to have one in the next 12 months
 No, and don’t have any plans for one

Other (please specify)
During consultations, are hand-washing facilities available?

Yes, in the consulting room

Yes, close to the consulting room

Yes, somewhere else in the building

No
Do you have public toilet facilities?

Yes

No, but the staff toilet is available for emergencies

No
Section 2 – IT Facilities
Q5
What is your electronic prescription status? (Please tick all that apply)

Release 1 enabled
 Release 2 Enabled
 Intending to become Release 1 enabled within the next 12 months
 Intending to become Release 2 enabled within the next 12 months
Section 3 – Essential Services
Q6
Does the pharmacy dispense appliances?

Q7
Yes
 No (Go to Q8)
What type of appliances does the pharmacy dispense?
 All types
 All excluding stoma appliances
 All excluding incontinence appliances
 All excluding stoma and incontinence appliances
 Just dressings
 Other (please specify)
Q8
Does the pharmacy provide repeat dispensing services?

Q9
Yes
 No (Go to Q10)
What is the average monthly number of repeat dispensing clients?

0-10
 11-20
 21-30
 31-40
 Over 40
Section 4 – Advanced Services
Q10 Does the pharmacy provide the following services?
Yes
Q11
No, but intend to provide
within the next 12 months
No, not intending
to provide
Medicines Use Review



New Medicines Service



Appliance Use Review



Stoma Appliance
Customisation Service



If yes, what is the average monthly number?
Medicines Use Review
New Medicines Service
Appliance Use Review
Stoma Appliance Customisation Service
Section 5 – Commissioned and Private Services
Q12 Are you currently providing, willing to provide or not intending to provide the
following services?
Currently
provide
Intend to provide Would
within the next provide if
12 months commissioned
Not
intending
to provide
Offer
privately
Checks/Screening/Monitoring
Anti-coagulant monitoring





Blood cholesterol check





Blood glucose check





Blood pressure check





NHS health check





Melanoma screening





Needle exchange





On demand availability
of specialist drugs service
(palliative care)





Safe disposal of sharps





Supervised administration
of opiate substitutes





Chlamydia screening
as a stand alone service





Chlamydia treatment
and partner notification





Emergency hormonal
contraception





Erectile dysfunction service





Pregnancy testing





Referral for further
contraception





Substance Misuse/Palliative Care
Sexual Health
Q12 Contd…..
Currently
provide
Smoking, Alcohol and Weight Management
Intend to provide Would
within the next provide if
12 months commissioned
Not
intending
to provide
Offer
privately
Active intervention smoking
cessation





Alcohol brief advice





Weight management





Childhood nasal flu
vaccination





Influenza vaccination





Pneumococcal vaccination





Advice/support to care homes 




Anti-viral distribution service





Compliance aid assessment





Hair loss service





Minor ailment scheme





Prescription collection service 









Vaccinations
Other
Travel clinic
Other (please list below and state whether you currently provide, intend to provide within the next
12 months, or offer privately)
Q13 What is the monthly average number of clients for each service you currently
provide?
N/A
0 – 10
11 – 20
21 – 30
31 – 40
Over 40
Anti-coagulant monitoring






Blood cholesterol check






Blood glucose check






Blood pressure check






Melanoma screening






NHS health check






Needle exchange






On demand availability
of specialist drugs service
(palliative care)






Safe disposal of sharps






Supervised administration
of opiate substitutes






Chlamydia screening
as a stand alone service






Chlamydia treatment
and partner notification






Emergency hormonal
contraception






Erectile dysfunction service






Pregnancy testing






Referral for further contraception






Checks/Screening/Monitoring
Substance Misuse/Palliative Care
Sexual Health
Q13 Contd…
N/A
Smoking, Alcohol and Weight Management
0 – 10
11 – 20
21 – 30
31 – 40
Over 40
Active intervention smoking
cessation






Alcohol brief advice






Weight management






Childhood nasal flu
vaccination






Influenza vaccination






Pneumococcal vaccination






Advice/support to care homes






Anti-viral distribution service






Compliance aid assessment






Hair loss service






Minor Ailment scheme






Prescription collection service






Travel clinic






Vaccinations
Other
Other (please provide details of the monthly average number of clients for any other services
you currently provide)
Q14 Do you offer a prescription delivery service?

Yes
 No (Go to Q17)
Q15 Who do you provide the service to?



Prescription delivery to any patient
Prescription delivery to housebound only
Prescription delivery within a specified distance
Q16 Do you charge for delivery of prescriptions?

Yes
 No
If yes, how much do you charge?
Q17 Do you offer an independent prescribing service?

Yes
 No (Go to Q19)
Q18 What therapeutic services do you offer?
Q19 Do you fill dosette boxes or other monitored dosage systems?

Yes
 No (Go to Q21)
Q20 Which patients may access this service? (Please tick all that apply)

Any patient
 Those assessed by the pharmacy
 Those assessed/requested by GP
 Those requested by family
 Those assessed/requested by social services
 Other (please specify)
Q21 Are there any other services which you provide from your pharmacy which have
not been mentioned in this survey?
Q22 Are there any services that patients ask for that you currently don’t provide?
Q23 Does the pharmacy have a panic button or a security system in place in case
of an emergency?

Yes
 No
If yes, please explain what you have below.
Q24 Are you able to host services for groups such as stop smoking or weight
management (either at your pharmacy or in another building)?

Yes, at our pharmacy
 Yes, in another building
 No
Q25 Would you consider doing outreach work for services such as stop smoking,
weight management or flu service (if commissioned)?

Yes
 No
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey
Results of Survey of Pharmacies
Survey of Pharmacies
When We Consulted
26 November 2014 – 17 December 2014
How We Consulted and Who Responded
A survey was built on-line and the live link to the survey circulated to all Gateshead pharmacies by the Local
Pharmaceutical Committee Members on the PNA Steering Group.
47 of the 50 pharmacies in Gateshead responded to the survey (a 94% response rate).
Survey Results
Base = 47
Do you have a consultation room?
All but two of the
pharmacies
had
a
consultation room, and one
of those plans to have one
in the next 12 months.
4
Most of the consultation
rooms
are
wheelchair
friendly.
Yes, with wheelchair access
Yes, without wheelchair access
Yes, without wheelchair
1 No, but plan to have one within 12 months
access
1 No
No, but plan to have one in
the next 12 months
41
No, and don't have any
plans for one
Yes, with
wheelchair
access
Base = 47
Do you have hand washing facilities?
All pharmacies had some
kind of hand washing
facilities. Most were either
in or close to the
consultation room.
Yes, close to the
consulting room
11
Yes, in the
consulting room
32
4
Yes, somewhere else
in the building
Just under a third (14) of
pharmacies had no public
toilets. 7 pharmacies had
openly accessible toilets and
a further 26 had a staff toilet
that could be used for
emergencies.
Base = 47
Do you have public toilets?
No
Yes
14
No, but the staff toilet is
No, but the staff toilet is
available for emergencies
available for emergencies
No
26
7
Yes
Most pharmacies are Release 2
enabled. Just three are Release 1
enabled only, and only one is not
Release enabled at all. However three
pharmacies are intending to become
Release 2 enabled within the next 12
months. This would result in all except
one pharmacy being Release 2 enabled
– the remaining one would be Release
1 enabled.
Not Release 1 or 2 enabled
1
Release 1 enabled only
3
Release 2 enabled
43 out of 46 pharmacies said they
dispensed appliances. Most of those
pharmacies dispense all types of
appliances.
42
Base = 42
What type of appliances do you dispense?
Just dressings
All excluding incontinence appliances
1
2
All types
All pharmacies provide a
repeat dispensing service.
Most pharmacies have over
40 repeat dispensing clients
every month.
Base = 46
Are you Release 1 or 2 enabled?
39
Number of pharmacies by number of repeat dispensing clients...
30
2
9
4
1
0-10
clients
11-20
clients
21-30
clients
31-40
clients
Over 40
clients
Base = 46
Across Gateshead there are
approximately
1,126
people using the Medicines
Use Review service. 332
use the New Medicines
Service. 12 use the
Appliance Use Review
service. 1 person uses the
Stoma
Appliance
Customisation Service.
Do you
services?
provide
Stoma
Appliance
Medicines Use New Medicines Appliance Use Customisation
Service
Review
Service
Review
Very
few
pharmacies
Do you provide these advanced services?
provide a stoma appliance
customisation service (2) or
appliance use review (3).
However, the majority
No
37
Stoma
provide the New Medicines
Appliance
Service (43) and Medicines Customisation No, but intend to within 12 months 3
Use Review (44).
Service
Yes
Appliance
Use
Review
Base = 46
2
No
34
No, but intend to within 12 months
4
Yes
3
No
New
Medicines No, but intend to within 12 months
Service
Yes
1
No
Medicines
No, but intend to within 12 months
Use
Review
Yes
1
2
43
1
44
these
Base = 46
Currently
provide
Intend to
provide within
next 12 months
Would provide
if
commissioned
Not intending
to provide
Offer privately
Anti-coagulant monitoring
3
0
32
11
0
Blood cholesterol check
3
0
35
7
1
Blood glucose check
6
1
34
5
0
Blood pressure check
16
0
24
3
3
NHS health check
3
0
35
7
0
Melanoma screening
0
0
33
13
0
Substance Misuse/
Palliative Care
Currently
provide
Intend to
provide within
next 12 months
Would provide
if
commissioned
Not intending
to provide
Offer privately
Needle exchange
7
2
8
29
0
On demand availability of
specialist drugs service
palliative care
5
0
26
15
0
Safe disposal of sharps
4
4
19
19
0
Supervised administration of
opiate substitutes
38
1
0
7
0
Checks/Screening/Monitoring
Currently
provide
Intend to
provide within
next 12 months
Would provide
if
commissioned
Not intending
to provide
Offer privately
9
2
28
7
0
1
2
32
11
0
19
7
18
2
0
Erectile dysfunction service
1
0
32
12
1
Pregnancy testing
5
0
27
14
0
Referral for further
contraception
22
1
17
6
0
Smoking, Alcohol and
Weight Management
Currently
provide
Intend to
provide within
next 12 months
Would provide
if
commissioned
Not intending
to provide
Offer privately
Active intervention smoking
cessation
29
4
10
3
0
Alcohol brief advice
7
1
31
7
0
Weight management
4
1
33
4
3
Currently
provide
Intend to
provide within
next 12 months
Would provide
if
commissioned
Not intending
to provide
Offer privately
Childhood nasal flu
vaccination
0
0
35
10
0
Influenza vaccination
26
7
5
6
0
Pneumococcal vaccination
1
0
32
12
0
Currently
provide
Intend to
provide within
next 12 months
Would provide
if
commissioned
Not intending
to provide
Offer privately
Advice/support to care
homes
11
0
20
13
2
Anti-viral distribution service
0
0
33
12
1
Compliance aid assessment
4
0
27
15
0
Hair loss service
2
0
29
15
0
Minor ailment scheme
11
0
33
2
0
Prescription collection
service
45
0
1
0
0
Travel clinic
2
5
30
9
0
Sexual Health
Chlamydia screening as a
stand alone service
Chlamydia treatment and
partner notification
Emergency hormonal
contraception
Vaccinations
Other
Almost all pharmacies offer a
prescription delivery service. All who
do offer it free of charge. Most delivery
to any patient, although 4 deliver
within a specified distance and 2 to
those who are housebound.
Only one pharmacy offers an
independent
prescribing
service,
although the service has not yet been
promoted.
Do you offer a prescription delivery service?
Yes
4
41
No
Base = 41
Who do you deliver to?
Within a specified distance
To housebound
4
2
To any patient
14 of the 42 pharmacies answering this
question said that any patient could
use their monitored dosage system. Of
those who had other criteria, 28 would
allow access if requested by a GP, 20
for social services, 15 if assessed by the
pharmacy themselves and 10 if
requested by family.
Base = 45
37
Which patients may access your
monitored dosage system?
Any patient
14
Those assessed by the pharmacy
15
Those assessed/requested by GP
28
Those assessed/requested by social
services
20
Those requested by family
Other
10
2
Base = 42
There were a number of services that
individual pharmacies say clients across
Gateshead have requested from them
that they don’t provide. However,
these tended to be unique occurrences,
with the exception of the minor
ailments scheme which has been
requested by clients of 9 different
pharmacies.
37 of 44 pharmacies have a panic
button or security system in place.
Are there any services that clients ask for
that you currently don't provide?
Anti-coagulant monitoring
1
Blood cholesterol check
1
Blood pressure check
1
Care home clinical reviews
1
Childhood flu vaccination
1
Childhood flu vaccination (Offsite)
1
Chlamydia screening
1
Emergency hormonal contraception
2
Hay fever service
1
Health checks
1
Influenza vaccination
2
Influenza vaccination (Offsite)
1
Medicines Use Review (Offsite)
1
Minor ailments scheme
About half of pharmacies said they
were not able to host services for
groups. However, 16 said they could at
their pharmacy, and 8 in another
building.
1
Pregnancy testing
1
Are you able to host services for groups?
8
No
24
Would you consider doing outreach work?
Yes
Base = 46
16
Yes, in another building
Around three quarters of pharmacies
said they would consider doing
outreach work.
9
Pneumococcal vaccination
Yes, at our pharmacy
Base = 25
33
12
No
Base = 45
Appendix 3
Help improve your local pharmacy…
We’re currently assessing the need for pharmacies and the services they
provide in Gateshead. You can play a large part in improving what is on offer
by answering a few questions about the way you use pharmacies.
Once you’ve answered the questions below just hand it to a member of staff
behind the counter.
Thank you for your help - Gateshead Health and Wellbeing Board
How you use pharmacies
1. How often do you visit this or any other pharmacy?
(Please tick one box only)
2. Do you always visit
the same pharmacy?
(Please tick one box only)

At least once a week

At least monthly

Always

At least every three months

Usually

At least every six months

No

At least once a year

Less than once a year
3. When you visit a pharmacy, which services do you use and are there any that you would
be likely to use if they were available?
(Please tick all that apply)
Likely
I use to use if
this available
Likely
I use to use if
this available
Sexual Health
General Pharmacy
Services
Pregnancy testing


Chlamydia screening/
treatment






Needle exchange or safe
disposal of needles/syringes


Specialist drugs service
(e.g. palliative care drugs or
supervised consumption
of methadone)


Dispensing of prescriptions

Buying over the counter
medicines

Advice from your pharmacist
(e.g. medicines/lifestyle)

Emergency hormonal
contraception (morning
after pill)
Disposing of old or
unwanted medicines

Erectile dysfunction service
Medicine review/check

Substance Misuse/
Palliative Care
Smoking, Alcohol and
Weight Management
Stop smoking service


Alcohol advice


Weight management


3. continued…
Likely
I use to use if
this available
Vaccinations
Children’s nasal
flu vaccination

Adult flu vaccination


Pneumonia vaccination


Travel vaccinations



Other
Hair loss service


4. Think about the pharmacy you visit most
often, how do you usually get there?
(Please tick one box only)
Likely
I use to use if
this available
Checks/Screening/
Monitoring
Anti-coagulant monitoring
(e.g. warfarin)


Health check (e.g. blood
pressure, cholesterol or
glucose check)


NHS minor ailments scheme
(free over the counter
medicine for those not
paying for prescriptions)


5. Thinking about the same pharmacy, is it
easy or difficult to get there on foot or
by public transport?
(Please tick one box only in each column)

On foot

Public transport

Car or taxi

Other
On foot
Public
transport
Easy


Difficult


Don’t know


6. Have you ever needed something from a pharmacy but found it was closed at the time?
(Please tick one box only)

Yes


No (Go to Q9)
7. What did you need?
Don’t know
8. What did you do when you realised it
was closed?
(Please tick one box only)
9. How old are you?

Went to another pharmacy

Went to a hospital

Went to a walk-in centre

Called NHS Direct

Waited until the pharmacy was open

Other
10. Are you…?
(Please tick one box only)
 Male
 Female
11. What is your postcode?
(Your postcode does not
identify your individual address)
Results of Survey of Pharmacy Customers/Public
Survey of Pharmacy Customers/Public
Locality
Number of people
12 December 2014 – 2 January 2015
Central
21
How We Consulted and Who Responded
East
14
A short survey was circulated to all Gateshead pharmacies
by the Local Pharmaceutical Committee Members on the
PNA Steering Group. Pharmacies were asked to display the
survey on their counters and encourage customers to
complete it. An on-line version of the survey was also built
and accessible via the Council’s website.
Inner West
26
South
36
West
18
Not in Gateshead
17
Unknown
4
When We Consulted
136 people responded to the survey. There was at least
one response from every ward in Gateshead. The spread of
responses from each locality is shown in the table.
Survey Results
Most (64%) respondents to the
survey were regular pharmacy
users – monthly or more often.
Around a quarter (24%) use
pharmacies at least every three
months, and the remainder (12%)
less often.
Base = 136
How often do you visit a pharmacy?
Less often
At least
once a week
12%
At least every
three months
18%
24%
46%
At least monthly
85% of respondents either always
or usually visit the same
pharmacy.
Do you always visit the same pharmacy?
No
15%
44%
41%
Usually
Always
Base = 135
As would be expected, many respondents use pharmacies to collect prescriptions (96%) and buy over the counter
medicines (71%). There was also a large proportion using them for advice (44%) and disposing of old or unwanted
medicines (30%).
A number of people said they would be likely to use health checks (23%), travel vaccinations (19%) and the adult flu
vaccination service (19%) if they were available at their pharmacy.
When you visit a pharmacy , which services do you use and
are there any that you would be likely to use if they were available?
I Use This
Likely To Use If Available
Dispensing of prescriptions
96%
Buying over the counter medicines
44%
Disposing of old or unwanted medicines
30%
Medicine review/check
Stop smoking service
Alcohol advice
1%
71%
Advice from your pharmacist
11%
Base = 133
0%
3%
8%
4%
2% 5%
1%
4%
Weight management 2% 6%
Pregnancy testing
Chlamydia screening/treatment
1%
4%
0% 2%
Emergency hormonal contraception
1%
3%
Erectile dysfunction service
0%
4%
Needle exchange or safe disposal
Specialist drugs service
0% 0%
4%
0%
Children's nasal flu vaccination 3%
9%
Adult flu vaccination
Pneumonia vaccination
11%
1% 7%
Travel vaccinations
2%
Anti-coagulant monitoring (e.g. warfarin)
2%
Health check
19%
19%
2%
5%
0%
23%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
More than half (56%) of respondents travel to
their pharmacy on foot. A large proportion (38%)
also use a car or taxi. Relatively few use public
transport (4%).
Base = 133
How do you usually travel to the pharmacy?
60%
40%
56%
20%
38%
4%
2%
0%
On foot
When asked about ease of travelling to their usual
choice of pharmacy on foot or by public transport,
19% said it was difficult to get to on foot and 13%
said it was difficult on public transport.
Public
transport
Car or taxi
Other
Is it easy or difficult to get to the pharmacy?
Difficult
13%
Difficult
19%
(On foot)
Base = 118
(Public
Transport)
Base = 54
Easy
87%
Easy
81%
On foot
Public Transport
Almost a quarter (23%) of respondents said they have needed something from a pharmacy in the past but found the
pharmacy was closed at the time.
Of 26 respondents who said yes, 46% had wanted a prescription, 31% wanted over the counter medicine, and 23%
wanted medicine although they did not define whether it was prescribed or not.
Have you ever needed something from a pharmacy
but found it was closed at the time?
Base = 126
What did you need?
Yes
23%
77%
No
Prescription
Over the counter
medicine
Medication –
unknown type
No.
people
%
people
12
46%
8
31%
6
23%
Base = 40
What did you do when you realised the pharmacy was closed?
Went to another pharmacy
48%
Went to a hospital
3%
Went to a walk-in centre
0%
Called NHS Direct
3%
Waited until the pharmacy was open
35%
Other
13%
0%
10%
50
40
30
44
20
2
13
22
30%
28
24
0
20 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55 - 64
65+
40%
50%
Base = 130
Gender of respondents
Number of respondents
Number of respondents
20%
Base = 133
Age profile of respondents
10
Almost half (48%) of
respondents, on realising
that the pharmacy was
closed, went to another
pharmacy. Over a third
(35%) waited until the
pharmacy was open. The
majority of those who
selected ‘other’ went to a
supermarket.
100
80
60
40
20
80
50
0
Male
Female
Appendix 4
Appendix 5
Appendix 6
Appendix 7
Drug treatment centre
Appendix 8
Appendix 9
All Pharmacies
Total number of pharmacies:
FVR04
FVM83
FRG71
FCX29
FQC72
FLA85
FV192
FW369
FMF10
FF805
FV555
FL974
FMK83
FLA89
FCF93
FMF20
FYK96
FGH89
FNK51
FYN79
FME56
FVR27
FWJ68
FC155
FWW14
FJE40
FX287
FE708
FA276
FAF46
FFE13
FP214
FRH52
FDL28
FR474
FEX02
FYN48
FAX07
FG334
FML40
FK304
FJA23
FAE19
FMG80
FV468
FD563
FC665
FEM15
FFR49
FW278
50
Ala Pharma Ltd, Oakfield Pharmacy, 96 Oakfield Road, Whickham, Gateshead NE16 5QU (Tel: 488 5640)
Asda Pharmacy, Metro Centre, Gibside Way, Tyne & Wear, NE11 9YA (Tel: 461 9510)
Ashchem Pharmacy, 11 Fewster Square, Felling, Gateshead, NE10 8XQ (Tel: 469 3018)
Beacon View Pharmacy, Beacon Lough Road, Gateshead, NE9 6YS (Tel: 487 2121)
Boots Pharmacy, 127 Prince Consort Road, Gateshead, NE8 1ER (Tel: 477 1140)
Boots Pharmacy, 16 Front Street, Winlaton, NE21 4RE (Tel: 414 2472)
Boots Pharmacy, 2 Dean Terrace, Ryton, NE40 3HQ (Tel: 413 2130)
Boots Pharmacy, 3 Crowhall Lane, Felling, Gateshead, NE10 9PW (Tel: 469 2315)
Boots Pharmacy, 46-52 Cameron Walk, Metro Centre, Gateshead, NE11 9YQ (Tel: 493 2055)
Boots Pharmacy, 477-479 Durham Road, Low fell, Gateshead, NE9 5EX (Tel: 482 3776)
Boots Pharmacy, 544 Durham Road, Low Fell, Gateshead, NE8 6HX (Tel: 487 6519)
Boots Pharmacy, 7 Tower Court, Dunston, NE11 9AZ (Tel: 460 4351)
Boots Pharmacy, 9-10 The Precinct, Blaydon, NE21 5BT (Tel: 414 3194)
Boots Pharmacy, Bede Health Centre, Old Ford Road, Felling, Gateshead NE10 0DJ (Tel: 477 5175)
Boots Pharmacy, Elvaston Road, Ryton NE40 3LT (Tel: 413 2479)
Boots Pharmacy, Felling Health Centre, Stephenson Terrace, Felling, Gateshead NE10 9QG (Tel: 438 4300)
Boots Pharmacy, Station Road, Rowlands Gill, NE39 1PZ (Tel: 01207 544 103)
Boots Pharmacy, Trinity Square, Gateshead NE8 1AG (Tel: 477 1306)
Boots Pharmacy, Unit 9 Team Valley Retail Park, Gateshead, NE11 0BD (Tel: 491 4348)
Centrechem Ltd, 217 Coatsworth Road, Gateshead, NE8 1SR (Tel: 477 1480)
Co-operative Pharmacy, 105 Prince Consort Road, Gateshead, NE8 1LR (Tel: 477 5349)
Co-operative Pharmacy, 14 Beaconfield Road, Low Fell, Gateshead, NE9 5EU (Tel: 487 5927)
Co-operative Pharmacy, 17 The Crescent, Dunston, NE11 9SJ (Tel: 460 4687)
Co-operative Pharmacy, 2-3 St Mary's Green, Whickham, NE16 4DN (Tel: 488 5296)
Co-operative Pharmacy, Arndale House, Durham Road, Birtley, DH3 2PG (Tel: 410 3135)
Dalhart Pharmacy, RW Wilson, 50 Front Street, Winlaton, NE21 6AD (Tel: 414 2378)
Fairmans Chemists, 5 Brookfield Terrace, Gateshead, NE10 0QU (Tel: 469 2124)
GH Furness Pharmacy, 13 Derwent Street, Chopwell, NE17 7HU (Tel: 01207 561 266)
JF Eilbeck Chemists, Gateshead Health Centre, Prince Consort Road, Gateshead NE8 1NB (Tel: 477 2280)
KA & AO Ltd, 292 Old Durham Road, Gateshead, NE8 4BQ (Tel: 477 2797)
L Rowland Pharmacy, 109 Mersyde, Gateshead, NE10 8UN (Tel: 469 2410)
L Rowland Pharmacy, 76-78 Saltwell Road, Gateshead, NE6 4XF (Tel: 477 1665)
Lloyds Pharmacy, 1 Springwell Road, Wrekenton, Gateshead, NE9 7JN (Tel: 487 4258)
Lloyds Pharmacy, 13 Bewick Road, Gateshead, NE8 4DP (Tel: 477 4456)
Lloyds Pharmacy, 181 Coatsworth Road, Gateshead, NE8 1SQ (Tel: 477 1616)
Lloyds Pharmacy, 9 Harras Bank, Birtley, DH3 2PE (Tel: 410 2198)
Lloyds Pharmacy, Rockwood Hill Road, Greenside, NE40 4AY (Tel: 413 2484)
Lloyds Pharmacy, Watson Street, Teams, Gateshead, NE8 2PQ (Tel: 460 7497)
Lobley Hill Pharmacy, 72 Malvern Gardens, Gateshead, NE11 9LJ (Tel: 420 0213)
MD & AG Burdon Ltd, Whickham Pharmacy, 30-32 Front Street, Whickham, NE16 4DT (Tel: 488 0956)
MR Crowder, 9 Dewhurst Terrace, Sunniside, NE16 5LP (Tel: 488 5638)
N&B Chemist, 1 Liddell Terrace, Bensham, Gateshead, NE8 1YN (Tel: 477 6742)
RG Young Pharmacy, 33 Sheriffs Highway, Old Durham Road, Gateshead, NE9 5PJ (Tel: 482 6457)
Sainsbury's Pharmacy, Eleventh Ave, Team Valley Trading Estate, Gateshead NE11 0JY (Tel: 487 6960)
Simon Leung, 2 Imperial Buildings, Durham Road, Birtley, Chester-le-Street, DH3 1LG (Tel: 410 2125)
Spinks The Chemist, 379 Princes Way South, T Valley Trading Estate, Gateshead, NE11 0TU (Tel: 403 1847)
Tesco Pharmacy, 1 Trinity Square, gateshead NE8 1AG (Tel: 413 2234)
Vantage Chemist, AL Thompson, Pattinson Drive, Crawcrook, NE40 4US (Tel: 487 7007)
Whitworth Chemists, 7 Wrekenton Row, Wrekenton NE9 7JD (Tel: 487 8733)
Whitworth Chemists, Wrekenton Health Centre, Springwell Road, Gateshead, NE9 7AD (Tel: 07885 805061)
Pharmacy Opening Hours
Monday
FVR04
09:00 - 19:00
FVM83 08:00 - 22:00
FRG71
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
FCX29
14:00 - 18:00
FQC72
08:30 - 18:00
FLA85
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
FV192
14:15 - 17:30
FW369 08:30 - 17:00
FMF10 09:30 - 21:00
FF805
09:00 - 17:30
09:00 - 13:00
FV555
14:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
FL974
14:00 - 18:00
FMK83 08:30 - 18:00
FLA89
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 12:45
FCF93
13:45 - 17:30
FMF20 08:00 - 19:00
08:45 - 13:00
FYK96
14:00 - 18:00
FGH89
08:00 - 19:00
FNK51
09:00 - 20:00
FYN79
09:00 - 18:00
FME56 08:30 - 18:00
FVR27
08:30 - 18:30
FWJ68
09:00 - 18:00
FC155
08:30 - 18:00
FWW14 07:00 - 23:00
FJE40
09:00 - 17:30
FX287
09:00 - 18:00
08:45 - 12:30
FE708
13:30 - 18:00
FA276
09:00 - 18:30
FAF46
08:30 - 17:30
09:00 - 13:00
FFE13
13:20 - 17:30
09:00 - 13:30
FP214
14:00 - 17:30
FRH52
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
FDL28
14:00 - 18:00
FR474
08:00 - 18:30
FEX02
07:30 - 18:00
FYN48
08:30 - 16:00
FAX07
08:30 - 18:00
FG334
09:00 - 17:30
Tuesday
09:00 - 19:00
08:00 - 22:00
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:15 - 17:30
08:30 - 17:00
09:30 - 21:00
09:00 - 17:30
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 12:45
13:45 - 17:30
08:00 - 18:30
08:45 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
08:00 - 19:00
09:00 - 20:00
09:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:30
09:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
07:00 - 23:00
09:00 - 17:30
09:00 - 18:00
08:45 - 12:30
13:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 17:30
09:00 - 13:00
13:20 - 17:30
09:00 - 13:30
14:00 - 17:30
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
08:00 - 18:30
07:30 - 18:00
08:30 - 16:00
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 17:30
Wednesday
09:00 - 19:00
08:00 - 22:00
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:15 - 17:30
08:30 - 17:00
09:30 - 21:00
09:00 - 17:30
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 12:45
13:45 - 17:30
08:00 - 18:30
08:45 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
08:00 - 19:00
09:00 - 20:00
09:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:30
09:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
07:00 - 23:00
09:00 - 17:30
09:00 - 18:00
08:45 - 12:30
13:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
09:00 - 13:00
13:20 - 17:30
09:00 - 13:30
14:00 - 17:30
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
08:00 - 18:30
07:30 - 18:00
08:30 - 16:00
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 17:30
Thursday
09:00 - 19:00
08:00 - 22:00
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:15 - 17:30
08:30 - 17:00
09:30 - 21:00
09:00 - 17:30
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 12:45
13:45 - 17:30
07:30 - 18:30
08:45 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
08:00 - 19:00
09:00 - 20:00
09:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:30
09:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
07:00 - 23:00
09:00 - 17:30
09:00 - 18:00
08:45 - 12:30
13:30 - 17:00
09:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 17:30
09:00 - 13:00
13:20 - 17:30
09:00 - 13:30
14:00 - 17:30
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
08:00 - 18:30
07:30 - 18:00
08:30 - 16:00
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 17:30
Friday
09:00 - 19:00
08:00 - 22:00
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:15 - 17:30
08:30 - 17:00
09:30 - 21:00
09:00 - 17:30
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 12:45
13:45 - 17:30
08:00 - 18:30
08:45 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
08:00 - 19:00
09:00 - 20:00
09:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:30
09:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
07:00 - 23:00
09:00 - 17:30
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 12:30
13:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 17:30
09:00 - 13:00
13:20 - 17:30
09:00 - 13:30
14:00 - 17:30
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
08:00 - 18:30
07:30 - 18:00
08:30 - 16:00
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 17:30
Saturday
Sunday
09:00 - 17:00
Closed
08:00 - 22:00 11:00 - 17:00
09:00 - 17:00
Closed
Closed
Closed
Closed
09:00 - 12:00
Closed
Closed
09:00 - 13:00
Closed
08:30 - 16:00
Closed
09:00 - 19:00 11:00 - 17:00
09:00 - 17:30
Closed
Closed
Closed
09:00 - 12:00
Closed
09:00 - 16:00
Closed
Closed
Closed
09:00 - 13:00
Closed
Closed
Closed
09:00 - 13:00
Closed
08:00 - 18:00
Closed
09:00 - 19:00 11:00 - 17:00
Closed
Closed
09:00 - 12:00
Closed
09:00 - 16:00
Closed
09:00 - 13:00
Closed
09:00 - 17:00
Closed
08:00 - 22:00 10:00 - 16:00
09:00 - 13:00
Closed
09:00 - 13:00
Closed
Closed
Closed
Closed
Closed
Closed
Closed
09:00 - 12:30
Closed
09:00 - 12:30
Closed
09:00 - 13:00
Closed
Closed
Closed
09:00 - 13:00
Closed
09:00 - 12:00
Closed
09:00 - 12:00
Closed
Closed
Closed
Closed
Closed
FML40
FK304
FJA23
FAE19
FMG80
FV468
FD563
FC665
FEM15
FFR49
FW278
Monday
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 12:30
13:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
08:00 - 22:00
09:00 - 17:30
08:00 - 21:00
08:30 - 13:00
14:00 - 17:30
09:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
Tuesday
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 12:30
13:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
08:00 - 22:00
09:00 - 17:30
08:00 - 21:00
08:30 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
Wednesday
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 12:30
13:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
08:00 - 22:00
09:00 - 13:00
08:00 - 21:00
08:30 - 13:00
14:00 - 17:30
09:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
Thursday
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 12:30
13:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
08:00 - 22:00
09:00 - 17:30
08:00 - 21:00
08:30 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
Friday
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 12:30
13:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
08:00 - 22:00
09:00 - 17:30
08:00 - 21:00
08:30 - 13:00
14:00 - 17:30
09:00 - 18:00
08:30 - 18:00
09:00 - 13:00
14:00 - 18:00
Saturday
09:00 - 17:00
Sunday
Closed
09:00 - 12:30
Closed
Closed
Closed
09:00 - 13:00
Closed
14:00 - 16:00
08:00 - 21:00 11:00 - 17:00
09:00 - 13:00
Closed
08:00 - 21:00 10:00 - 16:00
09:00 - 12:00
Closed
Closed
09:00 - 13:00
Closed
Closed
Closed
Closed
Number of pharmacies open for:
40 hours
41-45 hours
46-50 hours
51-55 hours
56-60 hours
61-80
81-99
100 or more
8
13
11
8
3
3
3
1
Number of pharmacies open on:
Weekdays before 9am
Weekdays throughout lunchtime
Weekdays after 5pm
Weekdays after 6pm
Saturday
Sunday
23
37
48
11
35
6
Pharmacy Services Offered
Number of pharmacies offering Gateshead public health team commissioned services:
Supervised consumption of opiate substitutes
Needle Exchange (Harm reduction)
Stop smoking
Health checks
Emergency hormonal contraception
39
8
40
3
34
Number of pharmacies offering Gateshead CCG commissioned services:
Minor ailment scheme
On demand availability of specialist
drugs service palliative care
11
5
Number of pharmacies offering NHS England commissioned services:
Influenza vaccination
26
Number of pharmacies offering non-commissioned services (Source: 2014 survey of pharmacies):
(Pharmacies offering service privately shown in brackets)
Anti-coagulant monitoring
Blood cholesterol check
Blood glucose check
Blood pressure check
Melanoma screening
Safe disposal of sharps
Chlamydia screening as a stand alone service
Chlamydia treatment and partner notification
Erectile dysfunction service
Pregnancy testing
Referral for further contraception
Alcohol brief advice
Weight management
Childhood nasal flu vaccination
Pneumococcal vaccination
Advice/support to care homes
Anti-viral distribution service
Compliance aid assessment
Hair loss service
Prescription collection service
Travel clinic
3
3 (1)
6
16 (3)
0
4
9
1
1 (1)
5
22
7
4 (3)
0
1
11 (2)
0 (1)
4
2
45
2
Pharmacy Population Reach
Residential properties (proxy for households) within/further than 1 ½ mile of a pharmacy (See Appendix 8 Map):
Residential properties within 1.5 miles of a pharmacy
Residential properties further than 1.5 miles from a pharmacy
Residential properties within 1 mile of a pharmacy
Residential properties further than 1 mile from a pharmacy
92,654 (99.8%)
188 (0.2%)
90,410 (97.5%)
2,361 (2.5%)
Other Service Providers
Dispensing GPs:
Dr Dawson & Imlah, Rowlands Gill Branch Surgery, Bute Road South, High Spen, Rowlands Gill, NE39 2AP
Dr M S Hassan & Dr M A Hassan, Chopwell Primary Health Care Centre, South Road, Chopwell, NE17 7BU
Dispensing Appliance Contractors:
None
Hospital Pharmacy Services:
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Sheriff Hill, Gateshead, NE9 6SX
GP Out of Hours Services:
GATDOC, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Walk in Centre, Sheriff Hill, Gateshead, NE9 6SX
Walk In Centres
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Walk in Centre, Sheriff Hill, Gateshead, NE9 6SX
Blaydon Walk In Centre, Shibdon Road, Blaydon on Tyne, NE21 5NW